Quigars Growth

Playable Species
Quigars are the "gatekeepers" of death itself, unsettling but well-meaning beings who guide the dying to their final rest.

Forest Guardians

Quigars are spirits of Death itself, powerful, mystical beings that live isolated away from others. They have impeccable death-sense, and can determine exactly when it is that anyone will pass on.
​They will appear to a creature destined to die soon, waiting to guide them to their afterlife... however, more often than not, their gesture of protection and guidance is misconstrued as a violent spirit appearing to only kill an innocent victim.

Anatomy

Quigars are heavy-set, bulky creatures, with the upper body being noticeably larger and stronger. They stand upright, and tend to walk on their knuckles, as their arms are very long. Their hands are large and almost humanoid, with an opposable thumb to grasp, and numerous clawed fingers. The hind legs are small, but still powerful. Quigar fur tends to grow long around the head and neck, and often grows shaggy or matted.

Face

Perhaps the most notable feature of a Quigar is the head, which is a half-furred, half-bony skull of a face. A Quigar's skull-face has three eye sockets, with only either the middle one or side eyes ever having to have any indication of vision-- the others are perpetually hollow. Quigar teeth are ungulate-like, but with pronounced canine teeth. Quigars tend to have a "beard" of fur on their cheeks, or underneath the chin, which grows extremely long.

 

Quigars may have their skulls fully-furred, which case they must clearly still resemble skulls, with visible skeletal nostrils, sockets, and exposed teeth.

The picture above demonstrates this well.
 

Mouth

Quigar faces can either be fully bony or partially skeletal, with a fleshy inner mouth, or a completely hollow inner mouth.

Horns

Quigars have a variety of horns, commonly resembling features seen in deer and other related animals.

These horns shed every few decades, and are said to have magical forces imbued within them-- dropped Quigar horns are valuable and sell extremely well.

View quigar horn traits

Skulls

Quigar skulls can have a variety of shapes. They commonly resemble ungulate skulls (excluding cetaceans) but other shapes are possible. The skulls don't have to be exact, or even realistic, and they can be more abstract, as long as they still look ungulate-like.

Common skulls always have flat teeth, excepting the canine teeth that are always seen in this tier. Your quigar can have a ruminant top jaw, but it still will need canine teeth on the bottom jaw.

Rarer skull features can vary, including singular eyes, and throwback.

Innate quigars can have access to the Living skull, which returns their faces to their previous look before their brush with Death.

View quigar skull traits

Eyes

Either the secondary eyes of the quigar, or the third eye, are perpetually hollow, with only the eyes being alit with a pinprick of light. The "pupils" can be any color.
When a quigar channels its powers, all three of its eyes will light up. For this reason, quigars with the awoken eye type are said to have an immense connection to the spirit realm.aZWDnVlV6r311-example-image.png

View quigar eye traits

Tails

Quigars often have tails themed after ungulates and other related species. 
View quigar tail traits

Social

As Quigars are typically solitary, even with their own kind, social groups are typically uncommon. However, as the times change and the world evolves, more and more groups of quigars are coming together with shared goals and motivations.
While Quigars agree that the world should be protected, a lot of them don't seem to agree on how that goal should be reached...

Behavior

Despite their looks, Quigars are typically docile creatures unless provoked. They do not attack at random, and will often survey their surroundings carefully and vigilantly. Until they detect a threat, they will act neutral, passive, or even friendly to any approaching visitors in their territory. Quigars tend to act slow and lumbering around any form of company, barely reacting to their presence.

They are very non-vocal creatures, and will only typically communicate via nonverbal gestures, grunts, roars, and bellows. When angered, a Quigar can charge at incredible speeds and will strike the offender with its horns, bite with the canines, or slash with clawed hands. Quigars are incredibly territorial towards their habitat, and will become defensive if it is threatened.

The size, stature, and often non-verbal communication of quigars often leads to the other species of Merlot regarding them as brutish, or even stupid, but the reality is that quigars are just as intelligent as any other species.
They can reason, form bonds, love, hate, worry, and feel joy like anyone else can. A lot of them simply just have their own ways of expressing their emotions, or some may not express them at all. This often only alienates them further from the world that surrounds them.

Relation to Other Species

For reasons stated earlier... quigars often form sour first impressions with the other species of the world. That doesn't mean that things always have to stay so sour, however.
Here are some examples of quigar 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.

Quigars seem to be fond of humans, and often protect them and watch over them. They are welcoming to visitors, though humans typically do not feel the same in return. Humans tend to greatly fear them and their presence, as they are considered a bad omen and sign of death. It is told that intentionally seeking one out is to invite death itself to claim you away.

...however, others would disagree. For some cultures, seeing a Quigar is the looming reminder of Death itself. To others, Quigars are venerated and admired as guardians and protectors of the ecosystem and life. These cultures approach them without fear, and will brush out and then braid their long, matted manes, and adorn them with beads, flowers, and jewelry. This is viewed as a kind of religious, sacred act, and bonding with the guardians they hold dear. They believe it is only good habit to respect and take care of the ones who will guide them after death, each person typically bonds with a Quigar, and it will be their guide in the afterlife.
 

Relation to sqwaguls

Quigars often seem baffled by the odd behavior of sqwaguls, but they are typically welcomed into areas where a quigar resides. Partnerships between the two species are common, which may blossom into full-on friendships with time.
 

Relation to mOTHMEN

Relationships between mothmen and quigars tend to be... rocky. Quigars detect this odd vibe from mothmen, recognizing them as something... foreign. Otherworldly. As such, quigars aren't sure whether they should remain on guard, reject their presence, or simply tolerate them.
 
The reaction between parties will most likely depend more on the chemistry between the two parties.
 
A quigar who believes that literal aliens are strictly bad and potentially harmful for the planet will react differently to one who will accept incoming anomalies... so long as they respect the planet.
 

Relation to nature

Quigars, as the guardians of nature, have a naturally-benevolent relationship with the land. Their influence benefits their surroundings, and animals big and small seem to subconsciously recognize a quigar as a non-threat.
 
In the presence of a quigar, predator and prey flock among each other peacefully, and bask in the comfort that radiates from their protector. Particularly powerful or magical quigars are often surrounded by flocks of wild animals that treat them with fondness and follow them wherever they go. These quigars even become able to understand the animals that surround them, and can communicate with them and understand their needs and wants.
 
This effect is notably not present if a quigar forsakes its role, or if the animal is under malevolent influence of any kind.

Homes

Quigars typically don't build homes, and live and sleep in the wilderness. More powerful quigars with power over nature may create their own homes by manipulating plants to grow in a houselike shape, but most of them refuse to cut down plants or trees to build a home.
 
Quigars can be found in remote areas all over the world, in many different climates and ecosystems. Their homes are safe havens for wildlife and are home to many flawless ecosystems. Quigars are very territorial creatures to the area they've selected as their home, and will attack anyone who dares to harm their home for ill purposes.

They may welcome others into their homes, and they are welcome to live alongside them. They will allow anyone to take from the land, hunt, or even build homes in their area, but quickly become angered if intense corporate work or many machines are brought into the equation. They seem to want to preserve the ecosystems in their homes.

Magic

Quigars, while not possessing as varied magic as say-- as sqwagul-- still carry innate magic of their own. Their magic is nature- and earthen-based.
Quigars may cast spells by word of mouth, with a gesture, or some of the most powerful ones may cast magic with just a glance.
CLICK TO SEE QUIGAR INNATE MAGIC

Diet

Quigars typically lean into herbivory due to their respect of nature. Though they may possess varied teeth, ominivory is uncommon, and outright carnivory is even more unseen.
For those who partake in carnivory, a ceremonial act in respect of the fallen animal is common practice. Parts that are not used are often left for the other animals of the wilderness to make use of instead.

Life Cycle

Quigars have an unnaturally long lifespan--their assocaition with life and death seems to give them a slowed aging process. However, once a Quigar reaches such an age that they determine themselves no longer to guide those to the afterlife, they perform "The Last Rite," wherein they guide themselves to the afterlife, using going deep within their territory and settling down, ready to welcome death as they sleep.

Parentage and Families

Being primarily solitary creatures, after a Quigar becomes old enough to take care of itself, the parents and child go their separate ways, returning back to their lifestyle of guiding others to the afterlife. After this period of adolescence, the parents usually never come together again and their offspring never see their parents again. While this may appear outwardly isolating, the Quigars prefer this lifestyle, enjoying experiencing the peace and quiet for themselves.

History

Quigars are often seen in mythologies as some dark and sinister creature and harbinger of death that lurked within the woods. Historically it was thought that these creatures were actually monsters sent by the god of death to bring about your end of days. Since interacting with the species, it has become understood that they have some connection to the lifeforce of the world and empathetically attempt to assist those who are about to pass on.

Stats

Fun Facts
  • Groupings: A group of quigars is called a "memorial"
  • Plural/Singular: Quigars/Quigar
  • Baby Name: Branch
  • Name Origin: Qui (latin, that/who/which) + guard/guardian
    Quite literally taken: That/who  guards
  • Key Features: Bulky body, skull faces, third eye
General
  • Natural Affinity: Nature
  • Languages:
  • Native Name: - (Meaning: -)
  • Height: - ft - cm
  • Weight: - lbs - kg
Life
  • Lifespan:
  • Age of Maturity:
  • Native Areas:
Social
  • Religions: Varied
  • Holidays: Varied
  • Worshiped Deities: Varied, typically Rosalina / Azrael
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Subspecies

Revenant (Quigar)

Revenant (Quigar)

The vicious revenants embody the death that they carry.

Revenants seek to reverse the work of uncorrupted Quigars, turning their beautiful blooming forests into cradles for prolific decay. They are outwardly aggressive and strike fear into the hearts of every creature they encounter, cementing their place in horror stories and bounty lists alike.

#pure9

Origin and History

The history of Revenants seems to date back to the origin of the species itself. From the dawn of the Quigars, whispers have been spread of those who truly became the death that they embodied. They're horrible beasts with broken jaws and a hobbled-over gait. Their appear eyes hollow, until they open their maws to reveal where they finally rest...

No longer connected to nature, these wicked Quigars have become the death that other species fear. Society has made them a monster, and a monster they became. Revenants no longer protect the earth, they only mindlessly trample over it, spreading decay, disease, and death wherever they go. It is said that their touch can rot you to the bone, and the gaze of their eyes is enough to make you drop dead. Their breath suffocates, and their voice deafens.

They say you can hear the whispers of the lives they have taken from within their maws.

"Come join us. Come join us."

It sounds familiar-- is that your mother? No, your closest sibling... or a dear pet, whimpering in pain... you must not heed the call, but they sound so distraught. It's aching you to resist.

You have to go help them.

Treatment in society

"Grinning Death", some would call them. "Reapers", "Death itself". People dare not speak their name, fearing it would draw the beasts towards them.

"They know when you speak of them. They know you are afraid." 

Spoken of only in hushed whispers, with trembling voices, most dare not to speak of them. But some did. They heed the call of Death. They want to spread its gift.

Join them in the eternal slumber.

Appearance and anatomy

Revenants are hulking in the same way that their nature-loving counterparts are, but with much less fur and a whole lot more exposed bone. Besides their skull, their toes are larely bony protrustions tipped with menacing claws. Their chest is layered with exposed ribs, and their spines trails out from their neck down to their flesh-lacking tails. They leave shadowy liquid on the ground and black mist in the air wherever they go, the likely source of their power to spread rot.

The unique anatomy of this subtype is  their facial horror. This is required and cannot be substituted.

Revenants are required to have some form of facial/skull horror or damage. This is extremely varied, but does come with some requirements, as stated below.

  • Half of the remaining face must remain intact.
    • The 50% can be divided and placed in various ways, but a good majority of the face must still be visible.
    • This is not a hard and fast rule, we don't expect people to expertly calculate face surface values to approximate the remaining face area.
    • Revenant's Absence can be used to skip this rule and cover 50%+ of the face.
  • Unlike normal quigars, the top or upper jaws can be completely mangled or missing, with only the void of their essence visible beneath.
  • Revenants will always possess hollow eye sockets, unlike regular quigars.
    • They can still possess eyes, but these eyes will remain within the void, and can appear anywhere in the void as desired.
    • 1-2 eyes are allowed by default, 3 with Awoken, 4+ with fragmented sight.
  • Revenants may trail smoke from their mouths, or leak corrupting goo from their bodies.
  •  
#pure9

I'm the only survivor of an encounter with a Revenant. It was a long time ago now, but even recalling the events of that day still drives a chill down my spine. I will always live in fear that it'll come back and rip me in two, that it's forever lurking in the dark corners of my room. I have adopted a nomadic lifestyle for that reason. Staying in one place is what ultimately drove my companions to their end.

It was an afternoon like every other one that week, where the sun drooped down towards the hills. We had been working for hours in the forest, breaking our backs logging trees to build more houses for our village. It was about time to turn in, but for some reason they didn't stop working. We spent the next hour clearing a handful more trees before loading all of the logs onto the carts we had lugged along with us to be brought back. Hauling those would be a whole other pain. With the dust settled, we began our trek back, and I never once looked back to see what had been watching us the whole time, glowing white eyes just visible from beneath parted jaws.

We grew tired in the middle of pulling the carts, and decided that we would stop for the night. It would have probably been just half an hour more to get back to safety. Back outside of the domain of that thing. The campfire was struck from splinters and brush, and I sat myself nearby, snacking on half a sandwich I had brought from home. One of my coworkers decided they needed to go an use the restroom, and took off to a spot among the remaining trees for decency. He never came back. We heard the screams, and he beckoned us to help him. My next companion followed quickly, handaxe drawn high above his head. Again, the same. I shared a glance with the one remaining logger, who didn't get a word in edgewise before he was dragged away. I should have lept to help him, but instead I stood frozen in fear. The air was silent for a moment. The campfire crackled, and in that instant I got up and ran. I ran until my lungs burned and my legs felt like they might snap if I took another step.

Next thing I knew, I had woken up in the center of town, battered and bruised. I was alive. I would never spend a night in the woods again.

#pure9

Stats

General
Sitely
#pure9

Diseased, decaying

Scraping bones, trailing shadows

Eyes leering, those that see

Mourning, mourning, falling leaves

 

All one may do,

Is lay flat and tremble in fear,

To merely hope,

That one shall not draw near

 

In the embrace of the void,

Will you plead?

Or will you add to the choir,

Voices leading away,

Into the inky abyss

#pure9
Satyr (Quigar)

Satyr (Quigar)

The serene satyrs embody the life that they bring.

Satyrs want the world to bloom and flourish, for everyone and everything to get along, and to spread harmony wherever they travel. They are usually peaceful and share a deep appreciation for anything that breathes.

#pure9

Origin and History

Satyrs are benevolent creatures who attend to their forests and those living inside and around them with great care. Once regular Quigars, they have ascended to the position of forest deity through incredible time and dedication tending to plants, animals, bodies of water, and even human residents. Their connection with the natural world around them seems to be deeper than any other creature on Merlot, and due to their heightened senses and empathy are the easiest to approach when there are questions to ask or trouble afoot in their domain. Humans have even seemed to take a liking to them and their presence, though often still keep their distance out of respect. The forest seems to be so deeply linked with them that parts of their body have developed barkskin, or limbs and protrustions have been entirely replaced with wood and plant growth.

Treatment in society

Unlike their Quigar cousins, Satyrs are typically capable of clear speech and communication between other species inhabiting their biomes. Though they originally developed such a capability out of their desire to negotiate with intruders and encroaching building and forestry developments, they now use it to speak to other Quigars and Merlotians in order to foster friendships. They are revered, not as gods or demigods, but as guardians of the natural world. Some may create shrines or offerings for them, though whether those are accepted or not depend on the individual. Humans view them in a relatively positive manner compared to regular Quigars and Revenants. The only thing that seems to upset them is the destruction of natural growths or creatures, which draws out retaliation.

Appearance and anatomy

Satyrs stand upright or on all fours, appearing more like bears than regular knuckle-walking Quigars. They have a large torso with short but strong plantigrade legs, and long, shaggy manes that may be braided or laced with flowers and plant growth. They may sport elongated cheek hair similar to a beard, and their faces are usually fully-furred. Wooden growths may take up the place of their usual horns, and some limbs or other parts of their bodies may be replaced with wooden materials as well.

The unique anatomy of this subtype is  their upright body with a plantigrade stance. This is required and cannot be substituted.

  • Satyrs possess a more bipedal stance, like that of a bear standing upright. They are fully capable of walking on two legs for long periods of time without tiring, and are adapted for this lifestyle.
    • Like regular quigars, they are capable of walking on their knuckles, or on all fours, however this gait proves more uncomfortable for them.
  • They may also stand on their tippy-toes (digitigrade), though this places more stress on their joints, so they can only walk like this for short periods of time. For most of the time, they appear flat-footed (plantigrade) and walk as such.
  • Satyrs may optioanlly have bear paws for free.
#pure9

I was abandoned in a burned down village. I was a member of a merchant group, who fled and left me behind after the smoke filled my lungs and filled my eyes with tears. I can't remember what happened, or why everything was burning, but I knew it was something sinister. I couldn't see for days, let alone move without wheezing horribly. I subsisted on some unidentified substance in a leather pouch that I found on the ground. When it started to snow, I swore it would be my end. I let my body go limp as I stared up into the great nothingness occupying my vision.

Then, things changed. A huge cloud cast a shadow over me, and it scooped me up, carrying me away from what I thought was my final resting place. My nostrils filled with the scent of herbs and spices, and I was gently set down on a surface rippling with soft fabric. In what seemed like seconds liquid splashed against my eyes and ignited colors and shapes in my vision again. It was almost overwhelming, and I cried that moment for another reason. I wanted to drop a knee and bow that moment to the creature before me, some incredibly tall bearish being with three eyes and a warm smile, but I could not when my body was still so weak.

"Thank you for saving me," I murmured, sitting up, "I wouldn't be here without you."

"Of course you wouldn't, silly, I carried you here. Make yourself at home. You'll need some time to recover," they reply in a booming voice, "luckily I had a pot of soup on, so you'll be better in no time. Hope you like mushrooms!"

They nursed me back to health for the next week. They stitched up my clothes and brushed the knots out of my hair. I left with a flower tucked behind my ear, one they had carefully grown in a pot by their windowsill when I was there.

"What's your name?"

"You don't need to know that. Just know if you're in trouble I will find my way to you."

#pure9

Stats

General
Sitely
#pure9

The branches of trees,

Curve upwards into smiles,

When graced by the presence,

Of their humble stewards

 

They prune the shrubs,

The undergrowth, the bushes,

So they may grow ever stronger,

So they may push through the gloom,

 

Tremble not in their wake,

Merely bow and tread on,

For they watch your back,

Though never when you bring harm

 

#pure9
Associated Prompts
(Quigar) Steward Salute, (Quigar) Sharp Safeguard, (Quigar) Spiritual Savior
Associated Companions
Kwee Kwee (Common), Kapi Kwee Kapi Kwee (Uncommon), Gentle Kwee Gentle Kwee (Rare), Piebald Kwee Piebald Kwee (Mythical)
Associated Concept
Quigar Spirituality
Associated Fauna Subspeciess
Satyr (Quigar) Satyr (Quigar), Revenant (Quigar) Revenant (Quigar)