The World Of Twilight

Hi,

forgive me if I'm putting this in the wrong spot. I had a look at your contest, (the guidelines and hints were great) your existing creatures and read some history.

That said, this universe is all brand new to me, so I may be way off beam. I'm not going to give my creature(s) a name, I'll happily leave that to someone with a better grasp of the language. Assuming you like it...

This is my idea.
(http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/4158/beast1u.jpg) (http://img693.imageshack.us/i/beast1u.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
Maybe wild, maybe very difficult to tame and control. It's a really highly strung (or stupid) herbivore. Quite tall (sorry - just remembered the scale comparison isn't there!) Maybe one and a half times "standard" infantry height. Sorry, I said I was new here... It grazes the fruit from the taller trees, has a great sense of smell, poor eyesight and has a symbiotic relationship with the species of flying creatures on it's back.

These flying things are it's early warning system. They roost and nest in the thick fur that grows on it's back and they react to danger much faster than their host - to the extent that their warning calls have virtually replaced it's brain. At the sound of their warning calls, the beast will charge unheeding in a direction known only to itself or the creatures nesting on it's back. Sometimes it will attack the threat, sometimes it will flee, who can tell which or when?  

Almost all of these creatures are wild and the natives make use of them by harvesting the fur that moults after hatching season. It's hard wearing and much prized, making great thatch for the dwellings, rugs... you name it.

Rare, foolhardy types, utilise purpose-built bagpipes and mimic the calls of the nesting creatures they carefully evict. In this way, most of the time, they can control their mounts. The dopey mounts rely on the calls of the bird creatures to know when to be afraid or angry and which direction to go and how fast, so a wily rider can manipulate this (hopefully) for his own ends. Caravan protection and elite, if somewhat unreliable, heavy cavalry are the rewards of the skilled rider.

...So what do you reckon?

Cheers  :)
 

Awesome!  ;D

Excellent. Great sketch too (cant help thinking of Family Guy where Peter has the bird nesting in his beard lol).

That's a great little entry! Nice and characterful with a good story behind it :)

When do the 'birds' start nesting on the creature? Do young ones have nests on their back, or is that only when they get a bit older? If they are used as mounts what happens to the birds?

My guess is the older ones (beasts) get the nests and the young just follow what the adults do.

I'm thinking the birds are pretty feisty, in Sydney, (where I'm at) we get Magpies and Indian Minahs that buzz you when they think their nests are threatened. They might be used as messenger pidgeons - pets - hunting Falcons?

Maybe they get whacked in cages stuffed with beast fur, sat on a pole and held aloft as an early warning device for their new masters? Like a banner. That seems pretty cool - you might also have the option to release them to "buzz" your opponent - putting them off their shots etc.

Apprentice riders would listen to their calls and practice mimicing them with their bagpipes!

 :)

Now why can't I draw like that?

Lovely entry, the symbiotic relationship is a really nice idea too.

Fab!  I can see the Fubarnii having to shoo them out of their orchards.
Moulting fur is great, we need more textile material.
 :)