Subpsecies: The Ssarh Ikrouk
(Common)
The anatomy
Noun: A Ssarh, many Ssarh
Adjective: One ssarho home, many ssarhi ruins
The Ssarh are the most widespread species of Ikrouks on Etaliari. They can be found all over the Great Continent, but originate from the Ssarh'isse Desert to the East. Along with the Lotlar, they are the smallest species of Ikrouks, measuring between 4 to 6 feet tall.
Adjective: One ssarho home, many ssarhi ruins
The Ssarh are the most widespread species of Ikrouks on Etaliari. They can be found all over the Great Continent, but originate from the Ssarh'isse Desert to the East. Along with the Lotlar, they are the smallest species of Ikrouks, measuring between 4 to 6 feet tall.
The usual colouration of a Ssarh: The Ssarh differ greatly from the Ook and the Lotlar in that they lack flashing colours. Their coats will naturally be dirt coloured, both light and dark, so they can blend in with the desert dunes. Since they eat the nectar of the flowers they cultivate, the pouch dangling from their throat comes in use, and hidden markings can appear along it when the nectar flows against it, glowing for a short time as the nectar passes through. Males with many markings are usually seen as more attractive for females.
As per all Ikrouk subspecies rules, a Ssarh cannot have a completely white coat; this trait is reserved to Pale Ones.
As per all Ikrouk subspecies rules, a Ssarh cannot have a completely white coat; this trait is reserved to Pale Ones.
The General Anatomy: The Ssarh are considered among the most resourceful Ikrouks, and their body shape is often referred to as "tiny but mighty". Because they live in arid habitats that include canyons, subtropical deserts and plains of sand dunes, the Ssarh have evolved to fly for short distances to favour taking breaks through the heat, however they are still better at gliding along the winds than the Ook or the Lotlar. Because they do not live in areas that have a lot of trees to climb, their furry tail is kept short and only serves as a center of balance. Their talons have a special webbing around the toes, rough, thick and scaly, which helps them walk in the sand without slipping or sinking in. That webbing can be used to swim as well, but it's not as effective as an Ehas or Lumara's webbing.
The Ssarh have a pouch on their throat that glows when the nectar they feed upon flows through. That pouch can expand to a certain capacity and contain quite a lot of nectar, akin to pelicans and their own bill pouch. The shape of their beak is what allows them to feed on nectar; by sticking the bill in, they then use their long, pronged tongue to gather as much nectar as possible inside their pouch.
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The size difference between a Hatchling, a Fledgling and an Adult Ssarh.
The Culture
The Ssarh form a tight community of merchants, travelers and traders, and they are known across all of Etaliari for wandering the wilds of the Great Continent with their whole flock in caravans, trading goods between each other and bringing back all kinds of rare things for their cities back home in the desert. They are also known to be the best explorers on Etaliari, followed closely by the Ook and their curiosity; the Ssarh'isse Desert is littered with the ruins of the ancient civilizations that once reigned on Etaliari before the Great Purification, more than any other place in the world, suggesting that the desert was once the peak of this lost civilization. Because of this, many clans have made it their goals to uncover the secrets of this ancient world, and many of those clans are responsible for the most important findings in Ikrouk history; mainly the first writings, which developed into their own over time, the ancient runes of power that became today's Magic Runes, and many proofs that link Ikrouks to be the descendants of that old civilization, and not a different species like most believe, among others.
The Ssarh are traders by nature, and though most of them will be normal traders and merchants, many will find their worth in the collection of arcane objects and forbidden knowledge, the most valuable goods of all. They trade this knowledge only with those who can trade something of equal value, usually for said arcane objects, those infused with ancient magic. Those arcane traders are often hunted down by the goons of the Empress, as they are treated on the same level as magic users; for more information, check out the Lore page to read about the ban on magic in Ook.
The Ssarh work exceptionally well with the Ook, as both their engineers and their scientists like to work together to advance the technologies of Ikrouk-kind; it was an Ook engineer who first designed the famous elevators of the Ssany Towers - the greatest Ikrouk city in the world next to the Citadel of Silver in Ook - and it was a Ssarh architect who designed the Temple of Kings, one of the most breathtaking temples on Etaliari. Although the Ssarh are used to the heat, they still rely heavily on water to survive, so their towns and cities will be built around oases and will contribute to growing the oases, combining the use of canals and streams to carry water wherever it is needed to grow plants and crops. The Ssany Towers are the capital of the Ssarh'isse Desert, and though they are home to the Greater Elder Clan, they are also home to the Mother of Etaliari; the Benevolent One, our Mother Koth. She resides at the peak of the highest tower, lost in the heavens, and rarely ever leaves that tower. It is said that on nights where all is quiet and the city life silences itself, you can hear her cries echo down to the earth...
The Ssarh are traders by nature, and though most of them will be normal traders and merchants, many will find their worth in the collection of arcane objects and forbidden knowledge, the most valuable goods of all. They trade this knowledge only with those who can trade something of equal value, usually for said arcane objects, those infused with ancient magic. Those arcane traders are often hunted down by the goons of the Empress, as they are treated on the same level as magic users; for more information, check out the Lore page to read about the ban on magic in Ook.
The Ssarh work exceptionally well with the Ook, as both their engineers and their scientists like to work together to advance the technologies of Ikrouk-kind; it was an Ook engineer who first designed the famous elevators of the Ssany Towers - the greatest Ikrouk city in the world next to the Citadel of Silver in Ook - and it was a Ssarh architect who designed the Temple of Kings, one of the most breathtaking temples on Etaliari. Although the Ssarh are used to the heat, they still rely heavily on water to survive, so their towns and cities will be built around oases and will contribute to growing the oases, combining the use of canals and streams to carry water wherever it is needed to grow plants and crops. The Ssany Towers are the capital of the Ssarh'isse Desert, and though they are home to the Greater Elder Clan, they are also home to the Mother of Etaliari; the Benevolent One, our Mother Koth. She resides at the peak of the highest tower, lost in the heavens, and rarely ever leaves that tower. It is said that on nights where all is quiet and the city life silences itself, you can hear her cries echo down to the earth...