Dragaroos

LAND: all areas of Fyra Oyer

Running across the various lands of Fyra Oyer, skittering between crevices and darting between rocks, are the Dragaroos. They can usually be found trailing dragons from afar, waiting for scraps of food to be dropped that they can grab and scurry away with before being noticed. They were much larger in size long ago, often acting as noble pets and fierce companions to their dragon masters. As they grew in population, food became scarce, causing their bodies to devolve both in size and strength. Reduced to scavengers, they retained mere shades of their former powers for a long time, modified for survival and elusiveness.

TYPES AND LOCATIONS

In Eldur, where they once defended their territories with fiery breath, they now emit smoke clouds to conceal themselves. They are known as Little Smokies.

The Klaki natives have termed the elusive creatures in their area Loch-Skags, prominent mostly along the near-frozen fingers of the Wendin Lake. When pursued, they disappear behind misty fogs of ice crystals expelled from their nostrils. They often use the underwater canals to travel and congregate with Loch-Sharcs near Skag Point.

In Dreka, Tree-Flarks use claws that once swiped through the trunks of trees to scale them quick as a flash instead. They are especially abundant in the aptly-named Flark Woods, where they jump from tree to tree while speaking to each other using the word “booble” in multiple ways.

The Nits dart quickly through the tides surrounding Vatten, invisible aside from the glowing color of their eyes and the puffs of ink they expel when threatened.

ADAPTATIONS AND USES

Dragaroos have adapted to meet the challenges of their landscape, and one particular strength they’ve all gained is the ability to MIMIC themselves. As a last line of defense, Dragaroos can manipulate their shadows, appearing to trade places with their darker counterparts to escape. Just when you think to have one in your grasp, you might end up with only a wispy illusion instead, as they’re able to seamlessly create a smoky, dark façade of themselves that mimics their size and shape as they hastily flee. This deception weakens the creatures immensely and is a power utilized only when all other options are exhausted.

While they were considered simply a nuisance for a long time, wiser dragons have devised numerous ways to utilize their abilities of evading capture. Trying to catch the tiny creatures has made for excellent training for younger dragons, often leaving them with jaws full of smoke as they chase down their nimble targets. The ability to nab one of the Dreka Dragaroos as they skirt from branch to branch is no easy task, as clawfuls of crackling leaves are often all that remains. Only the most skilled dragon swimmers can even get close to capturing Vatten Nits, twinkling like little pops of purple stars amongst the crests and tide.

AUGINO THE MIGHTY

Legend has it that the dragon Augino used Dragaroos in an incredibly ambitious way. Giving shelter to several in exchange for their services on his land, he had trained them to be extremely loyal and obey his commands. During the Battle of Eventry, he gathered the creatures into a modified coat that he wore like a suit of armor. In a method of communication with them that has not since been duplicated, they released their powers at his command, making their capabilities his own. When facing Phinneas the Donkle and his horde of Dark Cave Dragons, little was seen of the Mighty Augino were wisps of smoke as he darted across the battlefield. Shimmering dots were all that gave hint of his approach as he glided along the shores, circling his adversaries and mowing them down before they knew what hit them. While Phinneas was defeated, the struggle exhausted the Dragaroos and left Augino unable to continue once the conflict was over.

A NEW EVOLUTION

The unrest that crept across the land as Drakon overtook the remainder of Fyra Oyer was felt in the soil, the trees, and within the drifts of the waves themselves. Dragaroos sensed the disturbance, and for the first time since they’d roamed the lands alongside their dragon masters, an internal change was triggered within them. The species started to come out of the shadows more often and began regaining elements of their former strengths as a species. The dragons they’d scavenged from had disappeared, leaving their food source depleted, and a third wave of their evolution began.

As a new generation of dragons grew and also started utilizing powers their ancestors had long lost, the use of Dragaroos for training took a more intense turn also. While still generally scavengers, the creatures’ improving abilities make them more formidable as time goes on.

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