Traits

Artificial Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

Default to: Thunder

Crests may be made of metal, clay, bone, or some other artificial or sculpted substance. They can take any shape as long as they look artificial. The eyes will still be visible. If depicted, artificial pieces must cover at least part of the head. It may blend and connect with other artificial traits, so long as it follows the other rules.

The following list has a few acceptable materials for artificial traits. Their colors must be at 90% opacity or more (see colors for more info on transparency and color). If you do not see something on this list, feel free to ask if it is available!

  • Plastic
  • Clay
  • Metal
  • Glass
  • Cloth
  • Wood
  • Bone

Additionally, artificial crests are allowed some decorative materials that do not contribute to the total:

  • Chains
  • Strings
  • Jewels

All traits must be visibly artificial in order to pass. In example, clay would have a few cracks or flakes, cloth would have something tying it to the rest of the dragon, and metal would have screws on the edges holding them together. You may use up to two materials. Each material must be the same color as all matching materials. In example, if you want to use brown clay as a material, then all other clay must match. Wires, screws, and simple fasteners do not count towards the material limit and may have their own color that matches something else on the dragon. The colors of these extras must still match each other.

Colors

Artificial traits will only have colors natural to their material or colors in the elemental spectrum. For example, a fire dragon cannot be covered in lime green metal. The natural colors of plastics are white and tan. The natural colors of cloth depend on the material used to make them; For that, stick to plant materials in our known universe. Cloth traits cannot be dyed without the Scalestain item. Glass will always be tinted white or an elemental color. Clay will take on white, gray, light steel blue, red, orange, brown, or tan colors, similar to the ones seen in the Earth palette.

As elemental creatures, the magic of your dragon may also color its features their corresponding elemental color, even if it is outside of that material’s natural range. In this situation, it will only be one or the other (a red clay + blue ocean element color can’t equal a pure purple metal). The reason that glass will never be fully transparent is because of this ‘leaking’ magic effect.

Artificial traits may have a sheen/shine if it’s a material that naturally does that. If you use a gradient, it will be consistent across each material, and start from the extremities.

Display Traits

Similarly to color, a dragon’s display traits will always show, even if they need to leak through the artificial materials. While you can have artificial materials cover traits, they must still be apparent somewhere on the dragon. In example, if your dragon has Zebra, you may limit its stripes to the face and legs if your dragon’s body is covered in artificial scales. When the artificial parts are removed, you may have markings appear underneath, or simply leave that area blank.

What’s Underneath

The purpose of artificial traits is typically to aid in the health of the dragon. No dragon is born with their artificial traits included–their Rider, a passerby, or they themselves will construct something for them. Here are some reasons that a dragon may need an artificial snout: Misaligned jaw, exposed flesh, sensitive snout. With that in mind, the traits underneath resemble traits you can see in other dragons. When your dragon has their artificial parts off, they will resemble a malformed version of a parent’s trait (with the exception of mythical traits, which will only produce a default option) or simply no crest.

A Matter of Pride

Of course, there are many reasons that a dragon may not need artificial traits at all. There are crestless dragons that live their life just fine, wyrms that have no need of legs, and wingless critters that are content with their position on the ground. For dragons on the healthier scale of things--especially those of the Thunder element--artificial traits are a way to boost their confidence and have traits they believe is required for them, regardless of whether or not they really need that giant crown-shaped crest. Which, speaking of, is what a lot of artificial crests look like. Unlike other artificial traits, crests may be decorative and abstract in nature, so long as they appear artificially created. There is also no need to create monstrous effects if dragons choose to go without an Artificial Crest.

Going Without

Similar to healthy dragons which insist on their custom artificial traits, there may be some dragons with health issues that choose to go without. These dragons may choose to only partially cover their scales, replace only a single limb and leave the others mismatched, or even go without an aid entirely. If your dragon goes without, its design must follow the ‘What’s Underneath’ section above.

Crowned Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

Multi-pronged horns (antlers). They must have branches of some kind. While one or two prongs may be 'misaligned,' it should be roughly symmetrical. The ends do not need to be sharp, but they do need to be easily visible as different 'points.' This will not create fangs or tusks. The origin point of the crest must start in the colored area below:

Various Examples of Crowned Crest:

The crest may also be affected by a free gradient of two colors. The free gradient must take from the elemental color palette and/or white, tan, and black. The gradient may radiate from the prongs or affect the crest as a whole. The color and/or gradient will be the same on every horn. The gradient is optional, and you may choose to use a solid color instead. The very ends of the horns may be affected by minimal markings.

Double Crest (Rare)

Category: Modifier

The dragon has two crest genes, rather than one. You may choose any crest that the dragon does not already have (other than ‘no crest’). Here are several examples:

Color Rules

It must follow elemental color rules. You may allow display traits to affect it.

Modifier & Physical Trait Interactions

The crests still follow normal crest rules. However, you may choose for each crest to have different colors / treat them as separate crests.

Charged Double Crest

A Charged Double Crest becomes a triple crest.

Feathered Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

A head of feathers that can resemble any real-world bird crest or simply a bunch of feathers looking pretty. The crest should appear somewhere in this range. The base of the jaw and top of the neck are not allowed. However, you may use the jawline and cheeks themselves! The feathers will never create a mane-like structure--it should be a focal point starting near the head!

Here are some examples of Feathered Crests:

Crests may take on a gradient from the furthest extreme or from the top feathers to the bottom feathers.

Minimum marks may affect the very tips of the mark.

The top layer of feathers may be the same color as the base.

Finned Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

This crest takes inspiration from fish. No matter what, this crest will either be centered or symmetrical. It may do one of these:

  • create up to two lures/barbels/spines/humps
  • create fins on the side of the head and/or down the neck

Lures/barbels/spines/humps will not glow. They must resemble structures on existing fish. Here are some examples of this style:

Gradients for this style will contain two colors in the elemental palette. If using a gradient, it will radiate from the end of the crest (or center, if using a hump). The very tip may be affected by minimal markings.

Finned styles may resemble the fins of any living fish. It may have one fin down the center of the neck, two fins on the side, or both.

Gradients can affect the center fin and side fins differently, but they will both use the same color, and the side fins will be symmetrical. Here are some examples of these free colors:

Mythic Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

This allows you a free-for-all in how to design your dragon's crest! This will not change the shape of the face itself, but may add on protrusions. You may add any of these traits to your dragon for free, as long as they affect the crest area:

Feathers, Plating, Scales, Fur, Double Crest (or more), Translucence, Horns, Spines, Antennae, Floating Pieces, Glitching, Wires, Halos, Display, Whiskers, Neckfrill, Maned, Tentacles, Fins, Debris, Odd Ears, Frilled, Plumes, Extensions, Companion (note: this will not give an extra snout and must affect the crest), Tattered, Engraved, Shimmer, Gilded, Sheen, Armored

In addition to any of those modifiers, you can get creative. Want to reference extinct species? Go for it! Want to make up your own anatomy? That's an option, too! Want to keep things simple and just give them a unicorn horn? Honestly, the options are limitless. Have fun!

No Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

This is pretty self-explanatory. The dragon has no extra horns, spines, or fins as a crest.

Saurian Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

Takes inspiration from non-feathered crests of reptiles in general (not necessarily dinosaurs). Parasaurolophus, Carnotaurus, and Nyctosaurus are just a few examples of acceptable Saurian crests. It should have a noticeable real-world equivalent with similar shapes and proportions. Since a lot of dinosaur restorations are speculative, a bit of leeway is given for unusual crests (in example: whether some crests had membranes or not). It must appear somewhere on the head or upper neck. This will not touch the base of the neck or create expanding flaps or air sacks. Here are some examples of acceptable saurian crests:

Because these traits exhibit a lot of diversity, the free gradient/coloration can appear in many forms. Flesh, webbing, and horns may take on their own free gradient of two colors or a solid color. Webbing and flesh will use colors from the elemental color palette. Horns use the palette in addition to black, white, or tan. Gradients will radiate either from extremes or down the lining of the webbing. Here is an example of the same crest, colored in two different ways, both showing the bone with a unique color:

Here is an example with the flesh showing a gradient and the webbing showing a different gradient:

Here are more general examples:

 

The world of Saurian Crests is huge. If you want some ideas to bounce off of, here are some creatures with acceptable Saurian Crests: Pterosaurs, Ceratopsians, Carnotaurus, Pachycephalosaurs, crested Hadrosaurs, and even Plumed Basilisks. Avoid using overly speculative crest interpretations.

 

Spined Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

Porcupine-like spines on the head and neck. They should be thin and must contain at least three spines. Patches of spines should be roughly symmetrical. While they can bunch into regions, the individual spines should be apparent. It will not create a hair-like mane, fangs, or tusks. It can be anywhere except the throat of the dragon (the jawline is a-okay, though--just make sure your dragon can look down without stabbing itself on accident!).

The crest should appear somewhere in this range:

Here are some examples of Spined Crest:

The crest may also be affected by a free gradient. The free gradient must take from the elemental color palette and/or white, tan, and black. The gradient must start from the point. The colors and gradients will be the same on every horn, with a bit of leeway given for spines that are dramatically different sizes. The gradient is optional, and you may choose to use a solid color instead. The very ends of the horns may be affected by minimal markings. Here is a gradient example:

 

Thorned Crest (Basic)

Category: Physical

Horns with one starting point and one ending point. They can be twisted and curved however you like as long as you follow that rule. They should be placed symmetrically along the head and neck. Avoid placing it at the top of the throat so that it doesn't hurt itself (the jawline is alright, though). You may choose the number of horns as long as they do not resemble sharp scales. This will not create fangs or tusks.

The crest should appear somewhere in this range:

 

Here are some examples of Thorned Crest:

The crest may also be affected by a free gradient of two colors. The free gradient must take from the elemental color palette and/or white, tan, and black. The gradient must start from the point. The colors and gradients will be the same on every horn. The gradient is optional, and you may choose to use a solid color instead. The very ends of the horns may be affected by minimal markings.

Examples of a color vs. a gradient:

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