Subspecies: The Ook Ikrouk
(Common)
The Anatomy
Noun: An Ook, many Ook
Adjective: An ooka ruk’t, many ooka homes
The Ook are the most common and widespread species of Ikrouk, and can be found all over the Great Continent, mostly in the Land of Ook and the Ssarh’isse Desert. They generally stand a bit taller than the Ssarh and the Lotlar in terms of height, but they are still smaller than most other species, standing between 5 to 7 feet tall.
Adjective: An ooka ruk’t, many ooka homes
The Ook are the most common and widespread species of Ikrouk, and can be found all over the Great Continent, mostly in the Land of Ook and the Ssarh’isse Desert. They generally stand a bit taller than the Ssarh and the Lotlar in terms of height, but they are still smaller than most other species, standing between 5 to 7 feet tall.
The usual colouration of an Ook: Their coats are dull/dirty with streaks of bright colours; males are usually the most coloured, while females are the most dull. The Ook are the only type of Ikrouk that can naturally have pale scales and beak; it is more often present in males than females, but both can have this trait.
As per all Ikrouk subspecies rules, an Ook cannot have a completely white coat; this trait is reserved to Pale Ones.
Important! Note that an Ook cannot have a crimson coat; that very rare trait is reserved for the Irim clan, who is the main giver of this gene.
As per all Ikrouk subspecies rules, an Ook cannot have a completely white coat; this trait is reserved to Pale Ones.
Important! Note that an Ook cannot have a crimson coat; that very rare trait is reserved for the Irim clan, who is the main giver of this gene.
The General Anatomy: The body shape of an Ook is often referred to as the most "city friendly". Bearing a set of short wings and smaller talons than most other species, as well as an average height, they seem to be made for the city life. Ook are one of two subspecies (Ook and Izn'ck) that do not shed their hatching horn and instead keep growing it into their beak. Unlike the Izn'ck, however, their horn does not grow to be that large, and soldiers will often enlarge it with a helmet showcasing a large, pointy horn. The Ook's wings are relatively small; good for short distances and speed, bad for long distances and gliding. The talons of an Ook possess three fingers, the smallest number of fingers on any Ikrouk talons; two are at the front, one large and one smaller, while the third, the thumb, is at the back on the inside, and serves as a point of balance. Those feet are the sturdiest of Ikrouk-kind, and the Ook are often considered the best runners of all the subspecies.
The Ook have a special trait unique to their subspecies; they lack a steering tail, and instead have a heavy plumage drop down from their lower back onto their bony tail. Because Ook aren't the best at flying, they have evolved to favour a life on the ground, developing talons perfect for running long distances. Because of that, their bony tail is generally rather short, as they don't live in dense jungles but rather in open fields and plains.
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The Ook have another special trait that is common for their species but rare for others; they possess hard quills that can grow in multiple places on their body; the neck, shoulders, arms, head, back, hips and thighs are all places where quills naturally grow. They can be short or long, and they usually shed their quills once a year with their feathers like other Ikrouks. The quills regrow quickly once shed. Those quills are often used as pens; because they are empty inside but hard on the outside, they make solid ink reservoirs that are prized by scholars, writers and artists.
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The size difference between a Hatchling, a Fledgling and an Adult Ook.
The culture
The Ook Ikrouks have a very rich and ancient culture that they always strive to push and develop. Their towns and cities are often considered the pinnacle of culture, art and learning due to the high numbers of galleries, art streets and schools. The Ook are of noble heritage and they know it; their land houses the Kings and Queens of Etaliari, as well as the Emperors and Empresses that rule over the other Greater Elder Clans, so the Ook tend to have a big ego over this fact. Because of the presence of the Kings and Queens on their land, they are also found to be among the most pious and treat those pale monarchs as deities, preferring to bow to them than to any other force in action on Etaliari. This sentiment is especially felt as you get closer to the Citadel of Silver, the capital where the monarchs live, and is less present in more isolated settlements outside the city walls.
The Ook are blissfully aware of their ancestry and take great pride in their land; if you insult an Ook's clan or town, you will possibly wake a sleeping volcano in the process and risk getting in a duel. They take honour, nobility and pride very seriously, as well as family and representing your clan with honour. Despite all this, they work well in their community with other Ook and are very open to strangers and travelers; in fact, they themselves are known to be long-distance travelers, which is why you can often find Ook in far distant lands such as Urayeihm and Lumalisse. They love knowledge in general, making them appear a lot more curious than they allow their pride to admit. That curiosity will often lead them to experiment with things and devices, which is why you will find most scientists on Etaliari are Ook.
Despite all this, however, Ook are unfortunately the least opened when it comes to magic users. They view them as fanatics of the ancient ways, and believe that Sorcerers and Witches will be the first to succumb to the Corruption, for it was the Lonely One's magic that doomed their world in the first place. Because of this, relations between the Ook and the Lotlar, where the higher number of magic users can be found, are strained, and the Ook will look upon them with disdain. See more about the ban on magic in the Lore page!
The Ook are blissfully aware of their ancestry and take great pride in their land; if you insult an Ook's clan or town, you will possibly wake a sleeping volcano in the process and risk getting in a duel. They take honour, nobility and pride very seriously, as well as family and representing your clan with honour. Despite all this, they work well in their community with other Ook and are very open to strangers and travelers; in fact, they themselves are known to be long-distance travelers, which is why you can often find Ook in far distant lands such as Urayeihm and Lumalisse. They love knowledge in general, making them appear a lot more curious than they allow their pride to admit. That curiosity will often lead them to experiment with things and devices, which is why you will find most scientists on Etaliari are Ook.
Despite all this, however, Ook are unfortunately the least opened when it comes to magic users. They view them as fanatics of the ancient ways, and believe that Sorcerers and Witches will be the first to succumb to the Corruption, for it was the Lonely One's magic that doomed their world in the first place. Because of this, relations between the Ook and the Lotlar, where the higher number of magic users can be found, are strained, and the Ook will look upon them with disdain. See more about the ban on magic in the Lore page!