Berrybeast
Berrybeasts in Mordia are as common as squirrels in trees and as varied in appearance, too. They are small creatures roughly the size of a dog with four legs, typically round and furry, with color and markings similar to native fruits in the land. They have the self-preservation skills of a Dodo in regards to danger while having the wonderful nutritiousness of a very hydrated fruit. In present times, they are common house pets and enjoy eating grass, nuts, trash, sticks, literally anything they can chew on. You can hear the phrase, "You eat like a Berrybeast!" exclaimed or muttered in astonishment as it is both a compliment (you eat well!) and an insult (you eat literally anything!).
These are the most common types of Berrybeasts:
1. Strawpup
- Appearance: A plump, red Berrybeast with tiny black speckles scattered across its fur, resembling strawberry seeds. Its rounded ears mimic strawberry leaves, and it has a tiny green tail that curls like a vine.
- Behavior: Extremely curious, Strawpups are always sniffing out new things to nibble on. They are social and often waddle around in small groups.
- Quirk: Known for accidentally rolling downhill due to their round bodies.
2. Bluebouncer
- Appearance: Round and deep blue-purple, with soft, smooth fur that has a slight sheen. Their eyes are tiny and bright, like dew drops. They lack a tail but have stubby legs perfect for waddling. They have two small leaves atop their head.
- Behavior: Playful and bouncy, Bluebouncers are often seen hopping rather than walking, especially when excited. They tend to get into trouble when two or more are together as they bounce out of sync and thrive on each other's wild energy.
- Quirk: They emit a faint, sweet aroma passively, making them popular as calming companions.
3. Orangenibbler
- Appearance: Round and bright orange with a slightly dimpled texture on their fur, mimicking the peel of an orange. Their tails are "bushy" and shaped like a segmented orange slice.
- Behavior: Orangenibblers are highly energetic and love chasing their own tails or rolling around in sunny spots.
- Quirk: They absolutely adore water and will drop everything and divert all energy into splashing into the nearest puddle.
4. Grapecoat
- Appearance: Dark purple, nearly black, with smooth, glossy fuzz. Their tiny legs are disproportionately strong, and their rounded body makes them look like a single, oversized grape.
- Behavior: Quiet and a bit lazy, Grapecoats are often found snoozing under trees. They waddle slowly and seem perpetually unbothered.
- Quirk: Grapecoats tend stick together in small clusters, resembling a bunch of grapes when lounging.
5. Appletail
- Appearance: Green, red, or yellow, with a shiny, smooth coat and a bushy brown tail resembling a stem. Their ears are small and leaf-shaped, adding to their fruit-like look.
- Behavior: Incredibly affectionate, Appletails love to nuzzle their owners and will follow them everywhere.
- Quirk: They can be bribed into doing tricks with nearly any snack, making them a favorite pet among children.
6. Clawberry
- Appearance: Deep red with a slightly fuzzy texture to their fur. They have small claws perfect for gripping twigs or climbing low branches. Their bushy tails have darker tips, like a ripe raspberry. Their body more resembles a roundish squirrel-ferret.
- Behavior: Mischievous and adventurous, Clawberries are climbers and often get stuck in awkward spots.
- Quirk: Known for “collecting” shiny objects and hiding them in their nests.
7. Melonwaddler
- Appearance: Light green with dark green stripes running along their body, much like a watermelon. Their oval shape and stubby legs give them a clumsy but endearing gait.
- Behavior: Calm and gentle, Melonwaddlers are slow movers but very loyal. They often lounge for hours, soaking up the sun.
- Quirk: They love being around water and will happily float in shallow pools, using their plump bodies as natural rafts.
8. Chirpberry
- Appearance: Black with a shiny coat that glimmers in the light, they resemble a blackberry. Their legs are slightly longer than other Berrybeasts, giving them a lankier appearance.
- Behavior: Quick-witted and playful, Chirpberries are known for stealing food and running off with it. They thrive in bustling households.
- Quirk: They “chatter” constantly, emitting a chirping sound that resembles laughter.
9. Cuddlefuzz
- Appearance: Soft pink fur with a fuzzy texture and faint yellow highlights, much like the blush of a peach. Their tails are long and fluffy, trailing behind them elegantly.
- Behavior: Cuddlefuzz are graceful (for Berrybeasts) and love parading around, showing off their tails.
- Quirk: They are surprisingly picky eaters and will sniff food thoroughly before deciding to eat it.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Berrybeasts have four appendages, 1 to 2 leaf-ears, possibly a tail though some races disagree on whether it's truly a tail or just a leftover secondary appendage from mutating from plant to plant-animal.
Biological Traits
The full lifespan of a berrybeast is currently unknown as no one has come forward with one who has died through natural causes. There have been rumors of berrybeasts living for upwards of 20 years before doing something to end its life by accident, such as rolling into a den of wolves or eating something poisonous.
Genetics and Reproduction
These creatures reproduce via pollination like a typical plant but they lay seeds similar to how birds lay eggs, so after the ovary is fertilized by the pollen grain, it grows on the berrybeast for roughly 2-4 weeks. At any point once the berrybeast's instincts tell it that its time, it stops where it's at and digs a hole, shaking however many cubseeds it had growing off of it and pawing them into the hole, covering it up and then peeing on it to water it before leaving. Thus the end of the parents involvement in their offsprings lives.
The cubseed grows in normal stages like a plant, however the cubseed acts like a placenta with a vine within it attached to the baby berrybeast. The vine bursts through the cubseed with the peepbud dangling at the end, growing larger while the vine stem holds it upright off the ground. Peeplet is what it's called because at this stage the berrybeast resembles a small, tightly closed flower bud that makes little chirp, peep noises sometimes. As it grows, it changes color and texture before ripening and either falling off, being plucked off, or struggling to somehow detach itself. Oh, right, I forgot to mention that the berrybeast is attached by the underside to the stem, so it is upside down. Nothing about this adorable creature was meant to survive without supervision.
Dietary Needs and Habits
It needs exclusively water to actually survive! It can eat pretty much anything though for some reason, however if there is no water it will quite literally wilt.
Additional Information
Domestication
Simply pluck one off its vine if it hasn't fallen off yet after ripening (as a cubseed - the name for a baby berrybeast still on its vine) and carry it to where you wish to raise it. Berrybeasts grow very fast after being detached from their stem.
For already detached and grown Berrybeasts, they are just as easy to domesticate. A treat, a blanket, a splash of water, or simply picking it up and holding it will do the trick. Each Berrybeast has its own personality of course so if one gift doesn't work, try another!
After being taken to a new place, they immediately wander around in search of where the water source would be. Certain species are practically vacuum-garbage disposals so as they get to know their new place, they are munching on anything they come across.
Average Intelligence
Roughly the intelligence expected of a 1 - 1.5 year old
Round or oval, not a creature that can survive a harsh life.
Each type of Berrybeast resembles a fruit of the land. Oddly enough not a single berrybeast has actual fur, it is just dense short fuzz that make one think it has fur. Melons, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, oranges, lemons, and all sorts of types have been observed but there are roughly 9 major species that are the most common.
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