Dwarax

An ancient species, related to the Granthrax, the Dwarax has only recently resurfaced. They’re one of the only species that spends more time underground than above, and it’s not uncommon to find them coming out of random holes in the ground, so watch your steps in the mountains. A nocturnal species, they will occasionally come out to hunt, but it’s rare to see them at all.

## Climate

* This species prefers cooler to cold, mountainous regions, or anywhere there are lots of caves.
* Their caves are fairly well lit with bioluminescent plants and bugs, small fires they make themselves or glowing gemstones they harvest, however not nearly as bright as sunlight making them rarely come to the surface.

## Temperament

The dwarax’s temperament is varied, though most of them are grumpy little creatures with a very short temper. They are loving though, to their own kind, and mourn gratefully when a colony member dies, being EXTREMELY family oriented.

One thing that all dwarax are extremely passionate about are gemstones, spending most of their life hunting for and hoarding as many precious metals and gems as they can. They don’t know truly why they hunt for them, though there was a great reason for it in the past, but only the oldest of the dwarax remembers. If you were to ask them, however, they would simply respond that it gave them great joy so why ruin such a wonderful tradition?

## Lifespan

100-500+ they are the longest living species

## Other Random Facts

* .Dwarax can't swim, so they stay clear of rivers or lakes, their worst nightmare is finding and falling into an underground lake. They will willingly cave in deep underground caves, if too many of them drown in them.
* Though some dwarax have wings, they can not fly, they can only glide.
* When in events or special ceremonies, they sing with a deep resonating sound that can be heard throughout the caves.
* Diet is mostly small mammals, birds and fruit and berries they can find. They also enjoy some rooted vegetables, and are extremely resistant to poisonous plants, able to eat much more than other species.
* Their hearing is extremely good, but their eyesight isn’t even in the dark where they can see better their sight isn’t the best.
* If a Dwarax is born with gemstones growing from their skin, they are seen as a gift from the gods, and are believed to know where the best and rarer gems are. Whether this works or not, is a different matter.
* Though gem covered are the most treasured of their species, they have to be the most careful as they’re more likely to catch “gem madness” (something that only happens to dwaraxes where they become obsessed with their gemstones). If they are driven mad by gems, they will start consuming their treasure themselves and this causes more gems to grow on their body. The more they consume, the more gems grow and, if they continue to do so, the gems will consume them and slowly kill them, leaving no corpse but a crystalized dwarax, trapped in their own skin till they starve.

## In Packs

Opposed to surface dwelling creatures of Arilyan, Dwarax live in large clans or colonies of mostly family, instead of packs, in which every dwarax plays an important role. Much like ants, they all have jobs crucial to the pack. Some dig for the gems, some collect what has been found to take back to the chamber, others keep the diggers fed and watered, some look after the cubs, while others the smaller ones will hold little lanterns for the diggers. The legendary small Dwarax’s will sit on the shoulders of larger ones either holding a light or going through smaller cracks after the larger one has broken a hole.

Unlike ants, all females have children, and breeding season is generally the only time dwaraxes leave their colony. If there are no suitable dwarax’s in the family, of age males and females will go to a special location underground to find a mate. These locations have been used for generations, and dwarax have traveled to them for centuries. Once they find a mate, they either go back to their own colony or, if they feel a strong enough bond with their new mate, leave with them. It’s very common for male Dwaraxes to follow females once they have cubs, and either stay with the female, or take some of the cubs back to his colony once the cub is old enough.

You will very rarely, if EVER, see a lone Dwarax, as this species values family, tradition, and bonds more so than any other species. This isn’t only because of their love for one another, but because a lone Dwarax can become driven mad by their own mind. This is a psychological problem exacerbated by how quiet and claustrophobic caves are, how mad with gem hunger they get, and for how long they live. When they’re in a group, they’re able to help one another stay sane, relying on one another so heavily that their mental health is dependant on a healthy clan.

When creating your Dwarax, you must choose one of the following colonies or get permission to make one yourself.

1. Northern Mountain - old family of 20 run by a large main female.
2. Central Caverns - fairly young family of 15 members, by dwarvax standards, run by a somewhat young male.
3. Deepest Jungles - very old family of 50 that lives under the jungle floor, run by a set of old twin dwarvaxes
4. Desert Mountains - Oldest family of 80, run by an old male, has the largest hoard of gems
5. Sandy Cove - Moderately young family of 40 that grew in size fairly quickly and is run by a somewhat young female. Still not thrilled with living so close to water, but they find it rich in minerals so they're willing to risk it.

# DAYRAX

An evolved variant of the Dwarax, the Dayrax are the surface dwellers of the Dwarax species. They can see slightly better than their parent species, and have wings that can actually fly. That being said, they still have the Dwaraxes habits and perpetual need to collect shiny objects. They also follow the same family patterns, relying on direct family relations vs. rag tag packs of non  family members.

It’s not uncommon for them to live with Dwaraxes, although Dwaraxes accept them a little begrudgingly, because they’re different and it’s hard for Dwaraxes to trust things that are different. Because they can’t see as well as their tunnel dwelling family, the Dayrax usually act as a go between family pods and the surface, bringing in rare foods and objects made by humans and other Creatures of Maia.

When they live outside of Dwarax family pods, however, they tend to avoid hot areas. They find the heat oppressive, and difficult to breathe in, and their lungs are better equipped to handle the high mountain climates and thinner air.

This is also a completely free updated version of the Dwarax. So if you’d like one as a custom, it’s exactly the same as a Canine Granthrow, all you have to do is ask for it and it won’t affect the the cost of adopts.