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Compass Rose Preserves Concept Sketches

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These are actually part of the same page in my sketchbook, but for various reasons I had to separate them when I was editing them. These two are concept sketches for possible creatures for the Compass Rose Preserves; The Stray Sod and Andersen's Flower Folk.

    Stray Sods
    Stray Sods are named after the creatures of the same name from folklore. Like their mythological counterparts, they disorient whoever steps on them. They do so by burying themselves about a foot beneath the ground. When something steps on them they then release a scentless and sightless chemical into the air that disorients their prey or predator through the plant-like growths on their back. They then spring up quickly and attack. Many gather in groups and bury closely together. They can sense if one has released the chemical into the air, so they can ambush at the same time or can locate each other across great distances. In large quantities, the chemical has been known to cause people amnesia, hallucination, etc. You can mostly tell if someone has been affected if they describe feeling a sudden gust of wind even though nothing else shows signs of wind blowing, followed by a number of assortment of strange sensations, hallucinations, or not being able to remember things when asked. Depending on how large the amount of the chemical intake, the effects could last anywhere from a few hours to a week. Besides the effects the chemical is generally harmless afterwards, but the person can be prone to hypnotic-like suggestion while under its effect. Many caretakers of the preserves use this to make intruders forget anything they might have seen. Stray Sods use this to calm or numb prey to make them easier to catch and eat. They also use their digging skills to hunt for food underground, such as worms or moles. Although native to Europe, they have been introduced into many other preserves worldwide and have learned to adapt with different growths to resemble the local vegetation.   

I might change them into hedgehog or mole-like creature in the future.

    Andersen's Flower-Folk
    Named after Hans Christian Andersen, and many similar creatures such as the Rose Elf or the Flower faeries/angels in Thumbelina that appear in his fairy tales. Very, very tiny and incredibly shy and cautious, these little ones are intelligent beings that live in bushes, shrubs, or trees. They camouflage in with their home by growing leaf, thorn or flower-like growths on their heads and occasionally on other parts off their bodies. Some will also make their skin change color or even texture to resemble the branches, stalks or bark of their homes. They always shed and regrow the growths according to the seasons. They have amazing adaptability and can change their growths and skin color/texture in a matter of days if taken to a new home. They also use their flower growths to lure prey. They are extremely widespread and caretakers use them as natural pesticides. Due to their extreme intelligence they have their own language and often form small communities within their homes. Some are even known to keep pets such as mice or hummingbirds and are also experts at caring for plants, even having small "gardens." 

......Ugh, I spelled Andersen wrong in the drawing.....CURSE YOU!
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missingmom's avatar
These are cool.