Vox Dreah

Basic Information

Anatomy

The smallest breed of dreah, which closely resembles a caiman. They have short faces, like bearded dragons, but long tusk-like protrusions on either side of their mouth, which are covered in scales. They skitter across the forest floor, their four legs moving quickly. At the end of each tusk is an electric organ, which creates small coils of electricity. The two organs use their combined energy to create electric shocks when they stab the tusks into things. Other than their tusks, they do not especially stand out visually. They are a dark teal in color with black stripes. The tusks also act as lightning rods, as the organs can harness and redirect lightning from the air.

Biological Traits

Though the Kyn and Nox Dreah are very different from each other, they share the ability to produce chemical compounds and expel them from their bodies in both hunting and self defense. However, the Vox Dreah split off from the other two earlier in the evolutionary process, and the chemicals that would have altered the function of the stomach migrated into their mouths. An extinct variation of the vox dreah had the organs in its fangs, and over time it grew tusks to house the organs instead.

Genetics and Reproduction

Though vox dreah are largely absent parents, they will regularly return to their eggs about once a month until they hatch. Using their tusks to conduct lightning from the air, they will direct this lightning into the egg, charging the shell with electricity to protect it from predators.

Ecology and Habitats

Vox dreah live in lightning fields, a unique biome to the world of Starside, a land where lightning storms are constant, and the plants and animals of the habitat have evolved to coexist with lightning. The condensation of aeromancy weather magic allowed animals to adapt to the electricity, and so the vox dreah is one of many creatures which acts as a living lightning rod. They live in small dens beneath rocks and come out to conduct lightning, which charges their tusks so that they can hunt.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The vox dreah uses its electricity to hunt in two ways. If it finds a land bound prey, it will charge at it, and stab its tusks into any vulnerable spot it can find. Then, it will discharge electricity into the creature, which which usually kill the creature, or stun it if it lives. They will also dip their tusks into bodies of water and discharge electricity to electrocute fish, and swim in to drag them to shore and eat them.