forum Writing New Creatures

Started April 02, 2023 by @im-with-stoopid pets

tune

I really like books in which the main POV characters are animals. (ex. Warrior Cats, Wings of Fire, etc.) Not sure why, but I find books from animal POVs a lot more interesting. I started planning a fantasy animal POV story, and realized that I could make the creatures as fantastical as I wanted.

So here's one of the creatures I've made. It's called a Sunpelt:

Biology Notes

• Sunpelts are the largest creatures capable of flight in their environment. Adults are around the size of adult polar bears, though they are much lighter to be able to fly. Females tend to be larger and physically stronger while males tend to be smaller and faster.
• Their upper jaws are beak-like and toothless, though they are serrated. Their bottom jaws are mammalian and do have teeth. Sunpelts grind their teeth against the the serrations in their beaks to produce a noise like purring. Sunpelt purrs mean the same as cat purrs.
• Despite being mostly mammalian, Sunpelts lay eggs. Newly hatched Sunpelts can eat soft solid food. They learn to fly from a young age, reach adulthood at around 12 years, and can live to be about 60.
• Sunpelts are capable of walking on all fours, using the paws attached to their wings called talmitts. However, it is slower, less comfortable, and more vulnerable than flight. Their front paws have two conjoined toes, with one talon larger than the other to aid with climbing. Their back paws have five toes - three facing forward and two backwards - that allow them to grab and carry objects while flying.
• The frills on either side of a Sunpelt's head can be flared forwards to show aggression or shock or they can be folded to show fear. These frills also help a Sunpelt slow down in flight. The frill on the tail is not tied to any emotions, and is instead used for steering and speed control in flight. Males tend to have larger face and tail frills than females for more maneuverability in air.

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Just some NatGeo notes on these guys. I'll probably come back to this thread once I feel motivated enough the draw the other major creatures in my universe.
Thanks for reading! :)

So cute! I love mammalian egg-laying, makes me think of Marsupial! (I lobe them.) I always end up making realistic like animals for my stories- so if you have any tips about making fantastical creatures please share!

So cute! I love mammalian egg-laying, makes me think of Marsupial! (I lobe them.) I always end up making realistic like animals for my stories- so if you have any tips about making fantastical creatures please share!

Still a fantasy creature rookie myself, but I do have some tips!

• Take inspiration from real animals - especially birds, prehistoric, and deep sea animals as those tend to be the most out there. Design-wise, these guys are based on Great Crested Grebes, a type of bird I had no idea existed until a couple days ago
• Try to think about where your creatures live, as that can help out with color scheme and body type. Do they live where it snows a lot? Animals in cold climates tend to have smaller ears, thicker tails, and thicker, whiter fur. Do they live in a dense forest? Earthy tones for camouflage would work, and a smaller, more flexible body type would help prevent them from getting tangled up in bushes and low branches.
• For concepts, try taking a trait or ability of one animal and giving it to another animal. For example, what if a whale could walk on land like a seal? What if a snake had a tongue like a frog? What if a bird had antlers like a moose? From these questions you can ask further questions that can help shape the creatures. If a bird could grow antlers, how would it use them? How would it get used to the extra weight in flight? What if it can't fly at all and uses the antlers for something else? This method takes longer, but it generally gives more realistic results thanks to the fantasy parts being fleshed out.

That's all from me, I hope these tips could help! And thanks for checking out my creature. :)