Voidwalker
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The Voidwalker (Drakine Véredeí; scientific name Vacuum Geniale) is a shy, reclusive breed of dragon best known for its ability to travel through voids and use psychokinetic limbs known as vectors. They are of the Lurker classification, descended from Skyking Krthonius, and are a Water-Aligned species. They become the dominant species of Euthora during the Reformative Era.
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Appearance
Voidwalkers are lithe, sleek creatures with small, fish-like scales unlike the sharper and more prominent scaling of other dragons. Though smaller, these scales are still strong, being mythril-based, and waterproof. The scale is made of keratin, plated with mythril that has been "dyed" black by pigments secreted from the root of the scale, except for in luminous neon patches that create the Voidwalker's distinct markings.
The Voidwalker is a relatively small species of dragon, with an adult male standing at approximately two meters in height at the shoulder. They are quadrupedal and wingless, with strong legs built for running and a powerful tail with a membranous fin at the tip, built for swimming and steering in the frictionless space of their voids. The fins may vary in shape and size between individuals, but are always horizontal and have two strutted flukes, like a dolphin. Similar to their tail fins, a long dorsal membrane runs down the spine, supported by thin struts, beginning from the base of the skull and ending partway down the tail. The dorsal membrane is used both for steering and for heat regulation.
The membranes carry the same color as the Voidwalker's markings, though a male's are broken by black stripes. The markings are luminescent and usually bright, neon colors, though both of these traits may change if the Voidwalker is subject to a pigmentation anomaly, noted below. Their eyes are also this color, though often slightly paler. A Voidwalker's eyes have no visible sclera and the irises glow brightly enough to drown out the pupil, which is white. Markings may vary wildly between individuals, though underbellies and rings on the neck and tail are fairly common.
The mouth of a Voidwalker vaguely resembles that of a shark, being situated at the bottom of the muzzle and usually unnoticeable if closed. The jaws are lined with small, but needle-sharp teeth, useful mostly for grabbing hold of prey. Their teeth are made more for gripping than for tearing, though they do have canine teeth prominent enough to inflict damage on struggling prey or to tear tougher meat. Physically, Voidwalkers do not have much in the way of weapons- their paws lack talons and are structured mostly for traction when running- and instead tend to let their vectors do the work.
Voidwalkers are highly expressive with their fins and dorsal membrane; most of their body language is conveyed through these means alone, as their scales are too tightly attached to their bodies to bristle, they make few distinct facial expressions, their pupils are nearly invisible, and they have neither talons to unsheathe nor wings to flare. Generally a raised dorsal membrane is an expression of anger or fear, while the movements of the tail fin are more complex. It is difficult to read a non-verbalizing Voidwalker's mood for anyone who is not also a Voidwalker.
Pigmentation Anomalies
These are conditions present from hatching and are a result of the volatile pigments that these dragons produce, particularly in the luminescent ones that form their markings. They still however have a "base" color, which displays in the color of their Voidcore- for example, a melanistic blue Voidwalker will have an electric blue Voidcore, much lighter than the color of its markings.
- Albinism: The result of a severe metal deficiency in the scales, albino Voidwalkers are not truly victims of albinism. Their scales are brittle and a translucent white, unplated keratin. While their dorsal membrane and tail fins display some color, these are highly diluted, washed out variations of what should be their natural marking color. "Albino" Voidwalkers have no markings and thus do not glow; their eyes are entirely cloudy and white, rendering them blind. The lack of mythril in their scales makes these dragons nearly defenseless against attacks, and Voidwalkers with this condition rarely survive to adulthood.
- Leukanism: Causing the markings of a Voidwalker to appear lighter and less saturated, this condition has little effect on the dragon other than appearance. The markings glow more brightly than normal, and may result in colors nearing white on the spectrum. This degree of leukanism is rare, however, and it is more common to see grays tinged with the Voidwalker's base color.
- Melanism: The opposite of leukanism, melanism causes the Voidwalker's markings to be darker in color and glow less brightly. The more severe the melanism, the more physically weak the dragon tends to be, but Voidwalkers afflicted with this condition tend to have a better aptitude for magic and stronger psychic capabilities, including their vectors. Melanistic Voidwalkers tend to be on the smaller side of the scale.
- Severe Melanism: Severely melanistic Voidwalkers lack markings entirely and do not glow. Their dorsal membranes and tail fins are a light, translucent silver, and in the Reformative Era this leads to severely melanistic Voidwalkers being called "silvers", "grays", or some variation as a derogatory term. Though not part of their natural disposition, this aspect of Voidwalker culture- which prizes vibrant, radiant markings- often results in the individual developing an anti-social tendency.
- Spectrum Pigmentation: One of the rarer anomalies in Voidwalker coloration is the production of multiple bright pigments for the markings. While this can result in the Voidwalker having different markings of different hues, it is named more for the tendency of these pigments to blend and create a vibrant gradient across the markings. At their strongest, the glow of a Voidwalker with this condition can be nearly blinding, and is useful for obscuring the specifics of their form when fighting.
Physiology
Like all Euthoran dragons, Voidwalkers are warm-blooded, but have the ability to regulate their temperature with their dorsal membranes. This is particularly useful for them when traveling to new planets where the environment may be uncertain; unlike other dragons, they are not built specifically for hot, cold, temperate, coastal, or inland environments, but rather can thrive in all of them.
Voidwalkers are incredibly fast runners- they are the fastest land-based predator on Euthora, able to run long distances at a steady 70 MPH or sprint in bursts of nearly 200 MPH. This comes from their strong legs, their sleek, streamlined shape, their fins being able to cut through air resistance, and the structure of their internal organs. Voidwalkers have large hearts and lungs, as well as a highly flexible spinal cord. While their tail is built primarily for swimming, it can also act as a rudder and allow them to make swift, sharp turns.
These dragons are also strong swimmers, in no small part because of their fins and powerful tails. Their large lungs and the nature of their circulatory systems allows them to hold their breath and their blood to store oxygen for nearly twenty minutes at a time, and their glossy, tight scales are almost entirely waterproof, allowing them to easily dry off after getting out of the water. Like deepsea fish, Voidwalkers provide their own light where the sun would be unable to reach, and may occasionally go after large fish such as sharks for a challenging meal.
Voidwalkers have an incredible sense of balance; it is hard to knock one off its feet. This stems from their need to maintain mobility in their voids and even in water; it also helps them keep themselves oriented when sprinting.
Voidwalkers seem to have specialized areas of their brains that other dragons do not; these are thought to directly relate to their psychic abilities, such as telepathy and vectors. This also makes them highly resistant, if not entirely immune, to dracoimpery.
Abilities
These dragons are named for their chief ability- a limited vacuoimpery, allowing them to open, travel through, and reside in a sort of alternate dimension- a personalized vacuospace object-isolation dimension, or simply refered to as a "void". More specifically, they are named for the slight shuddering that occurs in the space where their feet touch the ground, with the occasional flare of the void itself becoming visible, as if the very act of walking is opening a rift into their world. Voidwalkers are considered rare not because their population is low in number, but because they spend the vast majority of their time in these voids, usually only emerging to hunt or raise their hatchlings. An injured Voidwalker will almost always flee into its void to nurse its wounds and heal, and can easily travel hundreds of light years away to another planet instantaneously by using their voids as portals.
Voidwalkers are also well-known for their use of the psychokinetic limbs they make use of, usually known as "vectors". These vectors, while not quite as strong as those of a Diclonius, are usually more numerous and longer-ranged, and usually take the form of claws when the Voidwalker is fighting. They may also shape these psychic limbs into true hands, blades, whips, barriers, and even wings should this flightless dragon ever require the ability to fly. Voidwalkers may have up to twelve vectors, with more powerful individuals rarely displaying more, and seven or eight is the average number. Range can vary wildly, usually settling around twelve to fifteen meters, though the longest recorded range was nearly thirty meters long.
Magic is a skill Voidwalkers prize, and most have at least a basic understanding of it and Mana Theory in general. This knowledge is attributed both to their ability to travel to worlds where magic is highly developed, and a natural disposition towards the skill as a Water-Aligned species. More powerful mages among the Voidwalkers can rival the sorcerers of Durasken's High Circle in skill and technique.
Behavior
Voidwalkers are shy, quiet, and relatively docile until threatened. Males are slightly more aggressive than the females, and highly protective of their mates and young. However, a wild Voidwalker may be approached if it is made to know that no harm is intended. They are an antisocial breed, adults traveling alone or in mated pairs that are together for life, with only the hatchlings tagging along until old enough to create voids. Young Voidwalkers are often playful and easily tamed even without the use of dracoimpery, and those raised by other species are greatly influenced by them. Voidwalkers are believed to be almost completely silent- they have never been known to roar, hiss, or growl like most dragon breeds, however an angry Voidwalker may make a warbling cry almost like an injured dove. They have the ability to speak intelligibly if taught, but their main method of communication with other sentient creatures is a form of pseudotelepathy in which emotions, sounds, and images are communicated rather than words.
Habitat
Voidwalkers spend almost all their time within their voids, which seem to be exclusive to each individual or mated pair. They seem to only leave their estrangement within the void in order to hunt and familiarize their young with how the "real world" works. Thus, they can be found nearly anywhere due to their ability to travel miles instantaneously through the use of voids.
Evolution
It is unknown how the Voidwalker evolved to lose its wings in favor of vectors. However, the breed is obviously built for running, and they have been observed running at almost twice the speed of the average racehorse while chasing down prey. The ability to simply run from danger or chase prey may have led to losing the need for flight. However, it is still unclear as to how the Voidwalker gained vectors and the ability to create voids.
