Snowdance Cinicula

**Snowdance Cinicula** is the most irrelevant creature in the World of the Exceed. It sucks and everyone absolutely despises it.

## Appearance

Snowdance Ciniculas are large, beetle-like creatures found in cold climates. They are creatures with three pairs of jointed legs, one pair of legs which are shaped like sickles and two pairs of big legs for locomotion. They use those sickle-limbs to burrow underground. They have four appendages on their back which are used for courtship purposes and to intimidate enemies. The horn above their head is used during mating and for defensive purposes. Ciniculas appear to have blue veins which glow and pulsate, but these instead signify the amount of ether stored within the Cinicula. Ciniculas usually have ten eyes, which are simple and cannot see very well. They have a soft, pointed abdomen and a beaked mouth. Snowdance Ciniculas are often white in color, and have a turquoise-colored glow.

## Habitat

Snowdance Ciniculas are found in extremely cold areas, often covered with snow and ice year-round. They frequent biomes such as Taiga forests, Tundras, Mountains, and the Polar regions. Because they stay burrowed within soil the majority of the time, they will not exist in biomes where there is no soil or substrate, even if the temperatures are cold.

## Lifespan & Size

Snowdance Ciniculas start out incredibly small. Only the size of a small cat at birth, they will eventually grow to reach massive sizes, even larger than some dragon lords. While most Ciniculas die out from starvation or predation, a few can survive well past 500 years, although such cases are rare. Because the cold temperatures slow down the metabolism of Snowdance Ciniculas, some individuals can live past 1000 years, although they engage in long periods of dormancy to do so. The average lifespan of a Snowdance Cinicula is between 300-700 years.

## Diet

While prone to eating almost anything when hungry, Snowdance Ciniculas prefer Mammal or Reptilian Meat as their primary food source. While most of their food consists of deer, yaks, llamas, and some dinosaurs, they occasionally prey upon the unlucky traveler. When starved of food, Snowdance Ciniculas will venture above ground for food, and will become very aggressive towards anything that moves. In times where prey is scarce, Snowdance Ciniculas will enter a state of hibernation, until prey becomes widely available once again.

## Behavior

Because of the cold temperatures surrounding their habitat, Snowdance Ciniculas are lethargic and do not venture above ground unless absolutely necessary. They burrow deep underground and lie in wait for prey, which they sense through vibrations on the surface. When a possible prey item is detected, the Cinicula will burst out of the ground, and deliver its venomous bite. Dragging its prey back underground, it will feast on the prey item before returning to its hunting position. During mating season, male Snowdance Cinculas will emit sonar waves from its burrow and wait for a response. If a female responds, the male will slowly burrow towards the female, and will proceed to the courtship process when he reaches her. Occasionally two males will head towards the same female to mate. If this happens, the two males burst out of the ground, and engage in a decisive battle to decide the victor. Sizing each other up, the two males will charge at each other until one flees. Due to their extremely hard exoskeletons, in most cases neither Cinicula is harmed.

## Reproduction

Snowdance Ciniculas engage in a courtship dance when initiating the mating process. The male will frill up his appendages and emit a soft blue glow to attract the female. If the female buys the male's display, they will mate. The process takes about two hours, with neither Cinicula moving during the process. After finishing, the male and female create a new, larger burrow underground. The female will lay between 10-30 eggs, which she will guard with her life. The male will protect the burrow from potential predators, and will also hunt for the female. Once the eggs hatch, the baby Ciniculas are instantly mobile and ready to hunt. Snowdance Ciniculas engage in an extremely unique process after the young are reared. Known as "Pod Sharing," when the male is ready to separate from the female, which usually takes place after the eggs hatch, he will take half of the young with him and leave the other half with the female. Both parents will care for their own young separately from that point, and any contact between the two afterwards will be seen as hostile. This behavior is unique to only Snowdance Ciniculas.

## Defense Mechanisms

Snowdance Ciniculas have a variety of unique defense mechanisms which they only use when fighting a predator or defending their young. One of these defenses is a barrage of missiles that fires from the Cincula's back. Each missile is made from a dense, hardened piece of dung with an incredibly sharp edge at the front. The missiles track their target, but can only be focused on one particular enemy. Cinculas also have a venomous bite, which is extremely potent. Another defense is the trademark horn located on a Cinciula's head. This horn can emit extremely high-pitched sonar waves that can deafen nearby enemies, and warn nearby Ciniculas of a threat. Most creatures cannot withstand the sound and are forced to flee upon hearing it. Other forms of defense include hardening to defend against attacks, charging at their opponent, blinding their enemies with bright light, and using a charged laser beam. When truly threatened to the extreme, Ciniculas will charge up ether around them and emit a powerful shockwave of energy, knocking back everything around it. This attack usually does enough damage to attackers and force them to flee.

## Predators

Snowdance Ciniculas have very few predators when at their adult size, but there are a few. One of the most notable are Remorhazes. Remorhazes often compete against Snowdance Ciniculas for food, and use the same hunting mechanisms. Remorhazes use the heat produced from their backs to cook Ciniculas alive, since they cannot withstand hot temperatures. While Remorhazes can occasionally snag an adult Cincula from time to time, they most often devour the young, which are much easier to dispatch and devour. Although Remorhazes may appear to be predators to the Cincula, they must also be cautious; as the bite from a Cinciula is almost always fatal. Both are predators to the other in places they both frequent. In places with frequent prey however, both are docile and rarely engage in attacking one another.

## Weaknesses

Snowdance Ciniculas may appear to have little weaknesses, although an experienced traveler will know how to deal with them easily. Ciniculas are simple-minded in combat and can only focus on one target. Having multiple members within your group will be of benefit since the Cincula can only attack one target. Ciniculas also have a variety of weak points. The most notable is their abdomen. While they have an exoskeleton as hard as steel, their abdomen is soft in comparison. It is also where most of the Cincula's vital organs are located, making it one of the best weak points. In terms of elemental weakness, Snowdance Ciniculas are weak to fire. Although they are also weak to Lightning, too much electricity will cause them to use their blastwave attack, since the charged energy will give the Cinicula the ether it needs to power up such an attack.

## Significance

Snowdance Ciniculas are used by local tribes as mounts and guards for their villages. They are hunted for their horns and exoskeleton, which is considered a rare and valuable material. They are also hunted for their meat. There are also some Snowdance Ciniculas within the contraband pet trade, where they are sold for profit. Because of their large size, long aging, and restricted habitats, the Snowdance Cinicula is considered a protected species by the National Exceed Species Conservationist Society (NESCS). In terms of medical significance, their blood can be used as an antivenom for Remorhaz or other venomous insectoid bites. There is no known antivenom for the bite of a Cinicula.