HOME | DD

Description
A contest entry for (full view to read print! And download gets rid of the blurriness of the text. Resizing problem I guess )

Edit: The Sixfoot placed second in the contest! Whoo-hoo! Thanks to everyone who voted.

Hexabrachius villosus
Common Sixfoot (Plural: Sixfeet)

Physiology:

Sixfeet are usually around five to six feet at the shoulder, but individuals of much greater size have been reported. They have a build that would typically be associated with an ungulate, that is, a four-legged structure with a barrel-like body and long neck. However, they have a noticeable lack of hooves, which have been replaced by reptilian or bird-like feet. Most sixfeet can reach a speed of about twenty mph, though individuals chasing quarry have been clocked at nearly thirty mph. The radius and ulna in the forelimb is not fused as in most ungulates, which allows for the rotation of the forelimb and therefore more dexterous use of the front feet. In addition to this, sixfeet have an additional pair of limbs located on the front of the chest, with slender-fingered hands they use quite deftly to manipulate their environment to some degree, usually to use tools. However, the thumb is not truly opposable and is tucked back when grasping an object. All limbs end in four digits. The lower half of each limb is covered in dark green keratinous plates that give the appearance of scales; on the top of each toe, the plates grow out into claws which fall off periodically to be replaced by the plate behind them, much like shark teeth. The rear dewclaws are large and fiercely hooked.

The end of the tail is hairless, just as the lower limbs are, and in adults is covered with bony barbs similar in nature to antlers. They grow from small “buds” for up to five years, and then fall off to be replaced by new ones. Most adults have a tail with barbs in various states of development throughout their life.

Their fur is usually varying shades of brown, with black, reddish, and even blonde individuals appearing occasionally (pure white does not occur unless the individual is an albino). The markings are usually diamond-like patterns, as found in some species of snakes, of darker fur. Since the habitat most sixfeet prefer is very seasonal, they will grow a thick winter coat and shed it for the warmer months.

Sixfeet have quills composed of fused hairs behind the head and partway down the neck (though individuals with full “manes” have been reported as well) as well as another tuft covering the rump. The quills vary in color, from dark red to blue to purple and even transparent in some cases, but remain constant in a single individual. Variations, such as bands along the quill, can occur. The quills are used in defense and mating displays, and can be raised and lowered at will. Males have larger and denser tufts of quills, especially around the rump.

The skull is sturdy, with a flat braincase. Sixfeet have four eyes, a secondary pair set slightly below the primary eyes. Their ears are pointed, with cartilage ribbing along the back and tufts of fur at the base to deter pests. They have no external nostrils, with breathing openings below the second pair of eyes and a scent organ in the roof of the mouth. The tongue is forked and the teeth are both pointed and flat to accommodate the varied diet. Long whiskers project from the end of the snout.

Senses:

The sixfoot has an unusual vision system in that they have four eyes—two primary and two secondary. The pairs can function independently from each other, but the eyes in a pair have matched movements. They also have no iris or visible sclera, the entire exposed surface of the eyeball being transparent. Instead of controlling the amount of light hitting their vision receptors with a pupil, sixfeet have special “mirror cells” that reflect light in or out of the eye, depending on the current conditions. These cells give sixfoot eyes their characteristic silvery appearance. Albino individuals are usually blind or severely vision impaired, since they lack the metallic pigment needed to reflect light.

Sixfeet have sensitive ears that can be rotated 180 degrees, but only slightly up or down. As such, they often need to tilt their head in order to localize a sound on the vertical plane. They are also very sensitive to vibration in the ground and the air, which they can detect with their toe-pads and very long whiskers. The whiskers are also used in social interactions; since they are highly sensitive, touching the snout of another individual with the whiskers can be likened to a kiss.

Since sixfeet have no external nostrils, they must open their mouths and take short breaths in order to bring smells to the scent glands in the roof of their mouth. The forked tongue can facilitate smell by bringing odors in without having to open the mouth in the typical gaping fashion. Sixfeet bands will use scent in addition to visual signs to mark the boundaries of their territory. They have a small cluster of scent glands under the jaw that can be used for such marks, as well as rudimentary communication between members of the band.

Habitat:

The common sixfoot is, as its name implies, a fairly common creature in its habitat of forested mountainsides, bands roaming over wide ranges of up to fifty square miles. Their coloration allows for camouflage in these sort of surroundings, blending well with both vegetation and open rocky surfaces. Sixfeet are surprisingly nimble for their size and build, able to scale very sheer rock faces and even hoist themselves into (very sturdy) trees in some cases. Sixfeet are able to tolerate cold weather and even snow quite well, their fur and plates protecting their skin from exposure and heat loss. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and usually doze in the middle of the day and night.

Diet:

Armed with sharp canine teeth as well as flattened molars, sixfeet are well-equipped for their mixed diet. For the most part, they browse on plant material, like fruits and certain roots. There are a few leafy plants that they will eat as well, and some bands have areas dedicated to rudimentary farming of wild grains, which they harvest to use as bait for birds (which they prefer to bread). Though they will purposely bury pits of fruits among similar trees, creating a sort of orchard, this agricultural behavior is not widely practiced (the lack of interest in agriculture is probably the reason sixfeet lack the civilized culture their advanced brains would be capable of organizing).

To supplement their diet of vegetation, sixfeet also hunt. Most often this is done cooperatively but individuals do occasionally take down smaller prey on their own. An entire band can get involved on a hunting expedition. Elderly or young sixfeet will scare up the prey, and individuals of both sexes will drive the quarry either until they can leap on it, make a killing bite, or it reaches an area where an ambush was planned beforehand. Those lying in wait will drop on the prey and attempt to use the force of the fall to slice open the sides of the victim with the large rear dewclaw. Ambushes usually take place in areas with steep rocky terrain, or areas forested with trees that have low-hanging and sturdy branches. This is the favored method of most sixfoot bands.

Hunting individuals will almost always use the ambush method for larger prey instead of risking injury from a herd of stampeding deer. For their large and ungainly appearance, sixfeet are surprisingly stealthy, and will use this to their advantage when higher terrain is unavailable.

Certain bands also use simple tools to aid in hunting, like stone-tipped spears or even simple sharpened stakes. However, due to the structure of their bodies, the can only use these weapons for direct piercing as opposed to throwing and as such they only provide a minimal increase in hunting success.

Sixfoot bands are often in possession of fire, though they can’t make it themselves (more on fire in the behavior section). As such, they often use it to prepare meat, though they can and often do eat it raw (especially solitary males). They eat meat cooked both for the flavor and the fact that it is easier to digest. In spite of their forked tongues, they have a remarkable sense of taste and will combine foods accordingly.

Behavior:

Sixfeet live in bands of around six to twelve individuals in most cases, but groups both smaller and larger have been recorded. Rarely are they found alone, with the exception being young males in transition between groups. Bands are tightly knit and highly cooperative. There is usually a dominant couple at the head of the band, but they seem to be in place simply to resolve disputes quickly since most decisions appear to be made after discussion amongst the whole group. Since sixfoot bands are exogamous and males are the ones that move between bands, sixfeet tend to be matrilineal, as the female line remains constant in a certain band. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean females are dominant; sixfoot society is egalitarian for the most part, with no real gender specific work divisions.

Conformity is highly valued in sixfoot society, since any deviation from the norm could put the whole band in danger. Any aberration, especially theft (which is the most common crime) is usually punished by varying periods of ostracizing. For the very worst crimes (murder or infidelity, which occur very rarely) the offending sixfoot will be driven from the band territory. Exile is not always a death sentence, but it often turns out to be since a solitary sixfoot does not often survive the colder months. However, exiles can join a new band, though often with some trouble.

Most sixfeet form monogamous couples at around thirteen to fifteen years and remain with each other for their lifetime, which is typically about twenty to thirty years. Males reach maturity at about twelve years, while females typically take slightly longer to mature. Once males have reached maturity, they usually leave their home territory for a neighboring band, where they will take up residence. Some bands actually have established exchange rules to be sure of enough diversity. Brothers or males born at around the same time may venture off together and proceed to join the same band. Most bands are hostile and distrustful to outsiders—especially wandering adult sixfeet or members of other sentient species. Young males are the unusual exception. Since all males are forced to find their mates outside the band, there is a constant flux of them moving between groups. In order to keep the balance and find mates for the young females, they will usually be allowed to stay. However, most males will have to pass through several territories before they will find a band that will take them on (usually one that recently had their own sons go off or has had a sudden increase in female birth).

In contrast to the hostility with which they greet strangers, sixfoot bands are very tightly knit groups and individuals are often very loyal to their family ties. The group not only will help support young communally, but will also support elderly or infirm individuals that can no longer contribute. Children of a dying sixfoot will return to their home territory, even if it is a very long distance, to be present at the funerary rites. (Sixfeet bury their dead, but often enlarge disused burrows for this purpose since they themselves are not built for digging and the most sacred place to be buried is under the roots of a tree.) These tightly knit bonds are solidified daily with grooming sessions in the afternoon, after the nap taken at the height of the day. Sixfeet will use their hands to pull pests from the fur of a loved one, or simply stroke their fur.

Since they are most active at dawn and dusk, sixfeet bands will sleep during the height of both day and night. Most of the time they will sleep standing, but will usually spend about an hour each day (at some point) lying down. Their large body mass prevents them from lying down for the extent of their rest, since it makes it difficult for them to breathe.

On special days, sixfoot bands will have feasts that often involve hunting far to excess prior and searching out delicacies. These are usually reserved for the spring and fall equinox, and the summer solstice, as well as marriages and funerals. Births are not commemorated in this way. Instead, the young are celebrated once they can chew their own food as opposed to eating regurgitated matter, as this means they have grown out of the vulnerable infant state.

They do not appear to have true written language, although marks made on trees at the boundaries of each territory differ from group to group, suggesting that the symbols are uniquely representative of a certain band. Having fairly inflexible lips, sixfeet instead rely on a very intricate set of syllables comprised of clicks, grunts, squeals and the like to communicate, although this does not seem to limit them in any way. The breathing holes beneath their eyes can also be used for communication, especially for amplifying a message in a sort of yell, as well as a notably rude noise to indicate disgust. They appear to have legends—especially of a folk hero whose name cannot be transcribed—that are passed down through generations orally and then edited further by the flow of young males between bands. Sixfeet are also able to communicate—very simply—by releasing scents from the glands under their jaws; they are primarily used to indicate emotional state.

Sixfeet have knowledge of fire and how it can be used, though they cannot create it themselves. As such, they each carry a coal wrapped in a damp leaf and pinned through the quills when they move campsites and there is always one individual left behind during a hunt to tend to the fire and be sure it does not go out. They use it primarily to keep warm, but also to smoke and prepare meat and scare off potential enemies. They will build lean-to like shelters but only rarely, since they prefer to rest in contact with others.

Reproduction:

There is much to-do about quills in sixfoot society, high quality quills being the main factor for attractiveness in the eyes of the opposite sex. As such, females of the same age will spend hours grooming each other’s quills and sometimes smear plant-derived dyes on them to brighten or even change the color.

Courtship does not have any set season, as females are fertile year round. In most cases, conflict over potential mates doesn’t reach a physical level, as one will acquiesce to the rival. On rare occasions though, such as when the maturation of a female with a potential suitor and the arrival of a new male coincide, conflicts can occur. If the female doesn’t show much of a preference, the males will often attempt to convince the other to surrender. This usually culminates in a sparring match, in which the males will use the quills behind their heads to attempt to strike at the jaw glands of the other (which is very painful, but a nonfatal injury). Since the hands are used to claw at an enemy’s face, occasionally fingers are lost during battle. A similar ritual battle between leaders of bands is often used to determine the outcome of an inter-band dispute.

Once a couple is established, small tokens of affection will pass between the individuals involved, most time flowers that they will weave into their quills to be worn until they wilt. However, sometimes they exchange sweet foodstuffs or delicacies like fish or small birds (both of which are particularly difficult to catch). Rarely does a relationship fall apart once it has begun, although it can happen and the process will start over again with new partners. If a mate dies, the surviving sixfoot will only rarely court a new one.

Sixfeet have a simple ceremony that can be likened to marriage, although it is much less institutionalized. Instead, the band recognizes the pair-bonding of the couple formally, usually by the giving of gifts and a feast.

Gestation can last about eleven months. Fawns (as the young are called) are almost completely helpless for the first two to three months of life and are kept at camp with elderly members of the band when the others are out hunting. They do not nurse, but rather eat food regurgitated for them by other members of the band. Fawns that survive past their first solid food and have been fully welcomed into the band will be given a name, and thereafter treated with much indulgence by the older members of the band. There are often offspring within a few years of each other in the band at one time, and they play together by forming “hunting parties” and chasing small quarry of their own.

Actual traits used from contest results: (29 1st place, 5 alternate)

Body Type
1st place: Giraffe/Ungulate [horse, goat, etc]

Head Type
1st Place: Snakelike/Crockadile/reptillan

Number of Limbs/arms/legs
1st Place: 6

Hands And/Or Feet
1st Place: Raptor/Dinosaur/Reptillan

Wings
1st Place: No Wings

Tail
1st Place: Barbed Tail

Number of Eyes
1st Place: 4

Number of Tails
1st Place: 1

Ear Type:
1st Place: Bat Ears

Eye Type
1st Place: No visible Pupil or iris

Eye Color
Alternate: Metallic

Number of mouths
1st Place: 1

Mouth Type:
1st place: Feline Like

Skin
1st Place: Fur

Extra Features 1:
1st Place: Quills

Tongue:
1st place: Forked

Markings:
1st Place: Snakelike

Diet:
1st Place: Omnivore! [Everything Eater]

Body/Coat Colors:
1st place: Earthtones

Habitat:
1st Place: Deciduous Forest

Intelligence:
1st Place: Smarter than a human

Lifespan:
Alternate: 20-30 years

Main Attribute:
1st Place: Stealth

Full grown size:
1st Place: 6 - 12 feet at the shoulders

Social Behavior:
Alternate: Medium groups of six to twelve individuals

Reproduction:
1st Place: Give Birth to live young

Special Features:
1st Place: Can walk on impossible surfaces

Active time of day:
1st place: Crepuscular

Parenting:
1st place: Parents watch after young for many years even after they've matured

Extra Features 2:
1st place: Extra-long whiskers

Special Skill:
1st Place: Can jump very high and far!

Territory:
Alternate: 20 - 50 square miles [Tiger Territory]

Technology:
Alternate: They use simple tools, like rocks or sticks

Social Behavior 2:
1st place: They are only very social to their small group, and dislike all outsiders.

------

Phew! That took a while. This was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one. This was done with ink and colored pencils, with a tiny bit of tweaking in Paint. The text was also added in Paint. Wish me luck!

Description
A contest entry for (full view to read print! And download gets rid of the blurriness of the text. Resizing problem I guess )

Edit: The Sixfoot placed second in the contest! Whoo-hoo! Thanks to everyone who voted.

Hexabrachius villosus
Common Sixfoot (Plural: Sixfeet)

Physiology:

Sixfeet are usually around five to six feet at the shoulder, but individuals of much greater size have been reported. They have a build that would typically be associated with an ungulate, that is, a four-legged structure with a barrel-like body and long neck. However, they have a noticeable lack of hooves, which have been replaced by reptilian or bird-like feet. Most sixfeet can reach a speed of about twenty mph, though individuals chasing quarry have been clocked at nearly thirty mph. The radius and ulna in the forelimb is not fused as in most ungulates, which allows for the rotation of the forelimb and therefore more dexterous use of the front feet. In addition to this, sixfeet have an additional pair of limbs located on the front of the chest, with slender-fingered hands they use quite deftly to manipulate their environment to some degree, usually to use tools. However, the thumb is not truly opposable and is tucked back when grasping an object. All limbs end in four digits. The lower half of each limb is covered in dark green keratinous plates that give the appearance of scales; on the top of each toe, the plates grow out into claws which fall off periodically to be replaced by the plate behind them, much like shark teeth. The rear dewclaws are large and fiercely hooked.

The end of the tail is hairless, just as the lower limbs are, and in adults is covered with bony barbs similar in nature to antlers. They grow from small “buds” for up to five years, and then fall off to be replaced by new ones. Most adults have a tail with barbs in various states of development throughout their life.

Their fur is usually varying shades of brown, with black, reddish, and even blonde individuals appearing occasionally (pure white does not occur unless the individual is an albino). The markings are usually diamond-like patterns, as found in some species of snakes, of darker fur. Since the habitat most sixfeet prefer is very seasonal, they will grow a thick winter coat and shed it for the warmer months.

Sixfeet have quills composed of fused hairs behind the head and partway down the neck (though individuals with full “manes” have been reported as well) as well as another tuft covering the rump. The quills vary in color, from dark red to blue to purple and even transparent in some cases, but remain constant in a single individual. Variations, such as bands along the quill, can occur. The quills are used in defense and mating displays, and can be raised and lowered at will. Males have larger and denser tufts of quills, especially around the rump.

The skull is sturdy, with a flat braincase. Sixfeet have four eyes, a secondary pair set slightly below the primary eyes. Their ears are pointed, with cartilage ribbing along the back and tufts of fur at the base to deter pests. They have no external nostrils, with breathing openings below the second pair of eyes and a scent organ in the roof of the mouth. The tongue is forked and the teeth are both pointed and flat to accommodate the varied diet. Long whiskers project from the end of the snout.

Senses:

The sixfoot has an unusual vision system in that they have four eyes—two primary and two secondary. The pairs can function independently from each other, but the eyes in a pair have matched movements. They also have no iris or visible sclera, the entire exposed surface of the eyeball being transparent. Instead of controlling the amount of light hitting their vision receptors with a pupil, sixfeet have special “mirror cells” that reflect light in or out of the eye, depending on the current conditions. These cells give sixfoot eyes their characteristic silvery appearance. Albino individuals are usually blind or severely vision impaired, since they lack the metallic pigment needed to reflect light.

Sixfeet have sensitive ears that can be rotated 180 degrees, but only slightly up or down. As such, they often need to tilt their head in order to localize a sound on the vertical plane. They are also very sensitive to vibration in the ground and the air, which they can detect with their toe-pads and very long whiskers. The whiskers are also used in social interactions; since they are highly sensitive, touching the snout of another individual with the whiskers can be likened to a kiss.

Since sixfeet have no external nostrils, they must open their mouths and take short breaths in order to bring smells to the scent glands in the roof of their mouth. The forked tongue can facilitate smell by bringing odors in without having to open the mouth in the typical gaping fashion. Sixfeet bands will use scent in addition to visual signs to mark the boundaries of their territory. They have a small cluster of scent glands under the jaw that can be used for such marks, as well as rudimentary communication between members of the band.

Habitat:

The common sixfoot is, as its name implies, a fairly common creature in its habitat of forested mountainsides, bands roaming over wide ranges of up to fifty square miles. Their coloration allows for camouflage in these sort of surroundings, blending well with both vegetation and open rocky surfaces. Sixfeet are surprisingly nimble for their size and build, able to scale very sheer rock faces and even hoist themselves into (very sturdy) trees in some cases. Sixfeet are able to tolerate cold weather and even snow quite well, their fur and plates protecting their skin from exposure and heat loss. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and usually doze in the middle of the day and night.

Diet:

Armed with sharp canine teeth as well as flattened molars, sixfeet are well-equipped for their mixed diet. For the most part, they browse on plant material, like fruits and certain roots. There are a few leafy plants that they will eat as well, and some bands have areas dedicated to rudimentary farming of wild grains, which they harvest to use as bait for birds (which they prefer to bread). Though they will purposely bury pits of fruits among similar trees, creating a sort of orchard, this agricultural behavior is not widely practiced (the lack of interest in agriculture is probably the reason sixfeet lack the civilized culture their advanced brains would be capable of organizing).

To supplement their diet of vegetation, sixfeet also hunt. Most often this is done cooperatively but individuals do occasionally take down smaller prey on their own. An entire band can get involved on a hunting expedition. Elderly or young sixfeet will scare up the prey, and individuals of both sexes will drive the quarry either until they can leap on it, make a killing bite, or it reaches an area where an ambush was planned beforehand. Those lying in wait will drop on the prey and attempt to use the force of the fall to slice open the sides of the victim with the large rear dewclaw. Ambushes usually take place in areas with steep rocky terrain, or areas forested with trees that have low-hanging and sturdy branches. This is the favored method of most sixfoot bands.

Hunting individuals will almost always use the ambush method for larger prey instead of risking injury from a herd of stampeding deer. For their large and ungainly appearance, sixfeet are surprisingly stealthy, and will use this to their advantage when higher terrain is unavailable.

Certain bands also use simple tools to aid in hunting, like stone-tipped spears or even simple sharpened stakes. However, due to the structure of their bodies, the can only use these weapons for direct piercing as opposed to throwing and as such they only provide a minimal increase in hunting success.

Sixfoot bands are often in possession of fire, though they can’t make it themselves (more on fire in the behavior section). As such, they often use it to prepare meat, though they can and often do eat it raw (especially solitary males). They eat meat cooked both for the flavor and the fact that it is easier to digest. In spite of their forked tongues, they have a remarkable sense of taste and will combine foods accordingly.

Behavior:

Sixfeet live in bands of around six to twelve individuals in most cases, but groups both smaller and larger have been recorded. Rarely are they found alone, with the exception being young males in transition between groups. Bands are tightly knit and highly cooperative. There is usually a dominant couple at the head of the band, but they seem to be in place simply to resolve disputes quickly since most decisions appear to be made after discussion amongst the whole group. Since sixfoot bands are exogamous and males are the ones that move between bands, sixfeet tend to be matrilineal, as the female line remains constant in a certain band. Though this doesn’t necessarily mean females are dominant; sixfoot society is egalitarian for the most part, with no real gender specific work divisions.

Conformity is highly valued in sixfoot society, since any deviation from the norm could put the whole band in danger. Any aberration, especially theft (which is the most common crime) is usually punished by varying periods of ostracizing. For the very worst crimes (murder or infidelity, which occur very rarely) the offending sixfoot will be driven from the band territory. Exile is not always a death sentence, but it often turns out to be since a solitary sixfoot does not often survive the colder months. However, exiles can join a new band, though often with some trouble.

Most sixfeet form monogamous couples at around thirteen to fifteen years and remain with each other for their lifetime, which is typically about twenty to thirty years. Males reach maturity at about twelve years, while females typically take slightly longer to mature. Once males have reached maturity, they usually leave their home territory for a neighboring band, where they will take up residence. Some bands actually have established exchange rules to be sure of enough diversity. Brothers or males born at around the same time may venture off together and proceed to join the same band. Most bands are hostile and distrustful to outsiders—especially wandering adult sixfeet or members of other sentient species. Young males are the unusual exception. Since all males are forced to find their mates outside the band, there is a constant flux of them moving between groups. In order to keep the balance and find mates for the young females, they will usually be allowed to stay. However, most males will have to pass through several territories before they will find a band that will take them on (usually one that recently had their own sons go off or has had a sudden increase in female birth).

In contrast to the hostility with which they greet strangers, sixfoot bands are very tightly knit groups and individuals are often very loyal to their family ties. The group not only will help support young communally, but will also support elderly or infirm individuals that can no longer contribute. Children of a dying sixfoot will return to their home territory, even if it is a very long distance, to be present at the funerary rites. (Sixfeet bury their dead, but often enlarge disused burrows for this purpose since they themselves are not built for digging and the most sacred place to be buried is under the roots of a tree.) These tightly knit bonds are solidified daily with grooming sessions in the afternoon, after the nap taken at the height of the day. Sixfeet will use their hands to pull pests from the fur of a loved one, or simply stroke their fur.

Since they are most active at dawn and dusk, sixfeet bands will sleep during the height of both day and night. Most of the time they will sleep standing, but will usually spend about an hour each day (at some point) lying down. Their large body mass prevents them from lying down for the extent of their rest, since it makes it difficult for them to breathe.

On special days, sixfoot bands will have feasts that often involve hunting far to excess prior and searching out delicacies. These are usually reserved for the spring and fall equinox, and the summer solstice, as well as marriages and funerals. Births are not commemorated in this way. Instead, the young are celebrated once they can chew their own food as opposed to eating regurgitated matter, as this means they have grown out of the vulnerable infant state.

They do not appear to have true written language, although marks made on trees at the boundaries of each territory differ from group to group, suggesting that the symbols are uniquely representative of a certain band. Having fairly inflexible lips, sixfeet instead rely on a very intricate set of syllables comprised of clicks, grunts, squeals and the like to communicate, although this does not seem to limit them in any way. The breathing holes beneath their eyes can also be used for communication, especially for amplifying a message in a sort of yell, as well as a notably rude noise to indicate disgust. They appear to have legends—especially of a folk hero whose name cannot be transcribed—that are passed down through generations orally and then edited further by the flow of young males between bands. Sixfeet are also able to communicate—very simply—by releasing scents from the glands under their jaws; they are primarily used to indicate emotional state.

Sixfeet have knowledge of fire and how it can be used, though they cannot create it themselves. As such, they each carry a coal wrapped in a damp leaf and pinned through the quills when they move campsites and there is always one individual left behind during a hunt to tend to the fire and be sure it does not go out. They use it primarily to keep warm, but also to smoke and prepare meat and scare off potential enemies. They will build lean-to like shelters but only rarely, since they prefer to rest in contact with others.

Reproduction:

There is much to-do about quills in sixfoot society, high quality quills being the main factor for attractiveness in the eyes of the opposite sex. As such, females of the same age will spend hours grooming each other’s quills and sometimes smear plant-derived dyes on them to brighten or even change the color.

Courtship does not have any set season, as females are fertile year round. In most cases, conflict over potential mates doesn’t reach a physical level, as one will acquiesce to the rival. On rare occasions though, such as when the maturation of a female with a potential suitor and the arrival of a new male coincide, conflicts can occur. If the female doesn’t show much of a preference, the males will often attempt to convince the other to surrender. This usually culminates in a sparring match, in which the males will use the quills behind their heads to attempt to strike at the jaw glands of the other (which is very painful, but a nonfatal injury). Since the hands are used to claw at an enemy’s face, occasionally fingers are lost during battle. A similar ritual battle between leaders of bands is often used to determine the outcome of an inter-band dispute.

Once a couple is established, small tokens of affection will pass between the individuals involved, most time flowers that they will weave into their quills to be worn until they wilt. However, sometimes they exchange sweet foodstuffs or delicacies like fish or small birds (both of which are particularly difficult to catch). Rarely does a relationship fall apart once it has begun, although it can happen and the process will start over again with new partners. If a mate dies, the surviving sixfoot will only rarely court a new one.

Sixfeet have a simple ceremony that can be likened to marriage, although it is much less institutionalized. Instead, the band recognizes the pair-bonding of the couple formally, usually by the giving of gifts and a feast.

Gestation can last about eleven months. Fawns (as the young are called) are almost completely helpless for the first two to three months of life and are kept at camp with elderly members of the band when the others are out hunting. They do not nurse, but rather eat food regurgitated for them by other members of the band. Fawns that survive past their first solid food and have been fully welcomed into the band will be given a name, and thereafter treated with much indulgence by the older members of the band. There are often offspring within a few years of each other in the band at one time, and they play together by forming “hunting parties” and chasing small quarry of their own.

Actual traits used from contest results: (29 1st place, 5 alternate)

Body Type
1st place: Giraffe/Ungulate [horse, goat, etc]

Head Type
1st Place: Snakelike/Crockadile/reptillan

Number of Limbs/arms/legs
1st Place: 6

Hands And/Or Feet
1st Place: Raptor/Dinosaur/Reptillan

Wings
1st Place: No Wings

Tail
1st Place: Barbed Tail

Number of Eyes
1st Place: 4

Number of Tails
1st Place: 1

Ear Type:
1st Place: Bat Ears

Eye Type
1st Place: No visible Pupil or iris

Eye Color
Alternate: Metallic

Number of mouths
1st Place: 1

Mouth Type:
1st place: Feline Like

Skin
1st Place: Fur

Extra Features 1:
1st Place: Quills

Tongue:
1st place: Forked

Markings:
1st Place: Snakelike

Diet:
1st Place: Omnivore! [Everything Eater]

Body/Coat Colors:
1st place: Earthtones

Habitat:
1st Place: Deciduous Forest

Intelligence:
1st Place: Smarter than a human

Lifespan:
Alternate: 20-30 years

Main Attribute:
1st Place: Stealth

Full grown size:
1st Place: 6 - 12 feet at the shoulders

Social Behavior:
Alternate: Medium groups of six to twelve individuals

Reproduction:
1st Place: Give Birth to live young

Special Features:
1st Place: Can walk on impossible surfaces

Active time of day:
1st place: Crepuscular

Parenting:
1st place: Parents watch after young for many years even after they've matured

Extra Features 2:
1st place: Extra-long whiskers

Special Skill:
1st Place: Can jump very high and far!

Territory:
Alternate: 20 - 50 square miles [Tiger Territory]

Technology:
Alternate: They use simple tools, like rocks or sticks

Social Behavior 2:
1st place: They are only very social to their small group, and dislike all outsiders.

------

Phew! That took a while. This was a lot of fun and I look forward to the next one. This was done with ink and colored pencils, with a tiny bit of tweaking in Paint. The text was also added in Paint. Wish me luck!