Smoks are a CLOSED species and can not be created without my permission.
This page is a WIP and started being updated again in March 2021.
Trait info, masterlist and species group can be found at the page's bottom
This page is a WIP and started being updated again in March 2021.
Trait info, masterlist and species group can be found at the page's bottom
Smoks
Icons, mini-info, species obtainment status
Overview
Smoks (Pronounced Sh-Moks) are steam-based creatures native to Verdimar. Theyre known for their high intelligence and social skills, which makes them a common companion in verdimar houses.
Some caipora specialise in breeding Smoks for their digestive dyes which creates rich, rare pigments. Breeding of smoks is also commonly done to obtain specific markings and colour combinations.
Smoks who live outside humanoid households are called wild smoks, though those are tame smoks living independently. Real wild smoks were never bred by humanoids and display a muddy, overcoloured pattern in their feathers. Despise the name and living standards difference, both are the same species.
The natural range of smoks coincides with all slime ranges in verdimar, though tame smoks are almost all descendant from smoks from the Malabera archipelago, which is also one of the biggest cities in Verdimar.
Some caipora specialise in breeding Smoks for their digestive dyes which creates rich, rare pigments. Breeding of smoks is also commonly done to obtain specific markings and colour combinations.
Smoks who live outside humanoid households are called wild smoks, though those are tame smoks living independently. Real wild smoks were never bred by humanoids and display a muddy, overcoloured pattern in their feathers. Despise the name and living standards difference, both are the same species.
The natural range of smoks coincides with all slime ranges in verdimar, though tame smoks are almost all descendant from smoks from the Malabera archipelago, which is also one of the biggest cities in Verdimar.
Taxonomy
Classification
There are two main types of smoks around: Tame smoks and wild smoks. They are, however, the same species, different almost exclusively by their looks and social habits. If a baby tame smok and wild smok were to change places, there would be almost no difference in their behaviours.
Smoks are close related to vaporhounds and are in the same family of darts and pinchers.
There are two main types of smoks around: Tame smoks and wild smoks. They are, however, the same species, different almost exclusively by their looks and social habits. If a baby tame smok and wild smok were to change places, there would be almost no difference in their behaviours.
Smoks are close related to vaporhounds and are in the same family of darts and pinchers.
Evolution
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Physical Characteristics
The most noticeable thing about smoks is their bright coloured feathers and how many variations in patterns they can have. Tame smoks have distinguishable markings and colours, while wild smoks have each feather in their body coloured differently from the other, giving them a brownish muddy look.
Smok size ranges from a small cat to a large dog. The feather type is an indicator of how big a smok will be: Flat and forked feather smoks are small, clover feather smoks are huge in comparision. This happens because clover feathered smoks have some vaporhound genes.
All smoks have a pair of tubes going from the back of their head to their chest, called "Pillows". Smok's pillows are a fat deposit that shield arteries and have 6 to 8 "gills" that the smok uses to release huge amounts of steam in case theyre threatened. Those gills are symmetrical and often are 3-4 on each side of the pillow and 3-4 on the sides of the spine.
Smoks are plantigrades and have 3 toes on all their paws. Their hands are more flexible than the feet, being able to stretch their lateral toes to a point that theyre almost opposing sides. Often they use both hands to be able to hold something.
Their ears often face one another when resting, but smoks are able to move them around when trying to focus on a specific sound. The resting inwards position helps them not being sensory overloaded as their hearing is very sensitive. Their main prey, the slime, is almost soundless.
Their eyes are big, and have huge lacrimal glands on the sides. Smoks have good daytime eyesight and can see as many colours as a human can. Their weakest sense is their sense of smell. Positioned on the sides rather than the front of the face, their nostrils arent capable of any wonder, and may be worse than a human in that aspect.
Smok's nose is often pointy and protuding upwards in a triangular shape. Their nose is like that so the steam that is exhaled is guided away from their field of vision, inbetween the eyes where lays a blind spot.
Their cheeks are partiarly featherless, being possible to see their skin colour through them. They can extend and do a potent sucking motion, what makes smoks able to glob up slimes in seconds. Their mouth is almost entirely teethless, save for two bumps where their front teeth should be. Their mouth when closed fits perfectly on their nose, making them look like theyre a bit sad or holding back something.
Smok size ranges from a small cat to a large dog. The feather type is an indicator of how big a smok will be: Flat and forked feather smoks are small, clover feather smoks are huge in comparision. This happens because clover feathered smoks have some vaporhound genes.
All smoks have a pair of tubes going from the back of their head to their chest, called "Pillows". Smok's pillows are a fat deposit that shield arteries and have 6 to 8 "gills" that the smok uses to release huge amounts of steam in case theyre threatened. Those gills are symmetrical and often are 3-4 on each side of the pillow and 3-4 on the sides of the spine.
Smoks are plantigrades and have 3 toes on all their paws. Their hands are more flexible than the feet, being able to stretch their lateral toes to a point that theyre almost opposing sides. Often they use both hands to be able to hold something.
Their ears often face one another when resting, but smoks are able to move them around when trying to focus on a specific sound. The resting inwards position helps them not being sensory overloaded as their hearing is very sensitive. Their main prey, the slime, is almost soundless.
Their eyes are big, and have huge lacrimal glands on the sides. Smoks have good daytime eyesight and can see as many colours as a human can. Their weakest sense is their sense of smell. Positioned on the sides rather than the front of the face, their nostrils arent capable of any wonder, and may be worse than a human in that aspect.
Smok's nose is often pointy and protuding upwards in a triangular shape. Their nose is like that so the steam that is exhaled is guided away from their field of vision, inbetween the eyes where lays a blind spot.
Their cheeks are partiarly featherless, being possible to see their skin colour through them. They can extend and do a potent sucking motion, what makes smoks able to glob up slimes in seconds. Their mouth is almost entirely teethless, save for two bumps where their front teeth should be. Their mouth when closed fits perfectly on their nose, making them look like theyre a bit sad or holding back something.
Physiology
Smoks evolved from stationary gushers and have many of their characteristics, such as a body that drives its energy from high heat and a parasitiac reproduction cycle.
Smoks often exhale a tinted steam, that while harmless to inhale may stain things with time. The exhaling isnt necessarely related to breathing but rather to their digestive system fumes and how their body cleans itself. Their digestive process and general body functions generate a lot of steam, which is filtered and then exhaled through the mouth. It is not innacurate to say that technically they burp a lot.
While their body might look like a mammal's, smoks body when cut open are completely alien. Their organs have some similar functions, but the shapes and positions are different, and most notably, they have an intricate system of tubular arteries that harden and soften muscles and bones to make them move, which gives them a "wiggly" motion when walking.
Almost all smoks have the same reproductive capacities, nicknamed + (positive/active) and - (negative/passive). In the positive reproduction, a smok takes from other smok their genetic material to fertilise their own eggs. In the negative reproduction, a smok has their genetic material taken. They can happen in turns between the same smoks.
Smoks often exhale a tinted steam, that while harmless to inhale may stain things with time. The exhaling isnt necessarely related to breathing but rather to their digestive system fumes and how their body cleans itself. Their digestive process and general body functions generate a lot of steam, which is filtered and then exhaled through the mouth. It is not innacurate to say that technically they burp a lot.
While their body might look like a mammal's, smoks body when cut open are completely alien. Their organs have some similar functions, but the shapes and positions are different, and most notably, they have an intricate system of tubular arteries that harden and soften muscles and bones to make them move, which gives them a "wiggly" motion when walking.
Almost all smoks have the same reproductive capacities, nicknamed + (positive/active) and - (negative/passive). In the positive reproduction, a smok takes from other smok their genetic material to fertilise their own eggs. In the negative reproduction, a smok has their genetic material taken. They can happen in turns between the same smoks.
Behaviour
Smoks are social creatures that live in groups of friends and/or lovers, called families. They stay with their relatives until theyre of reproductive age, by then they leave to form new groups, coming back to their relatives casually for affection purposes.
A smok family may have non-smoks in it. Sometimes vaporhounds, which are very close to smoks as a species, will be accepted in the group. Smok reproduction requires a host, so from time to time, smoks might invite and take care of a host until their eggs hatch. Some other creatures may be welcome and travel together with a smok family due to an affection bond and/or mutual interest.
Smoks are very intelligent, on a "cartoon pet" level. They can understand words, what they mean, and have very complex emotions. Smoks can ask questions and understand abstract ideas. They cant, however, go so far on them, and are limited in what they can actually learn. The biggest challange on teaching a smok anything is their attention span, and how theyll simply not be interested in things that arent immediate rewards.
For example, a smok will understand a story told to them, and understand its a story and not neccessarely real. They will understand emotions and will feel empathetic when a character is sad. They will, however, not understand how to build a tent, or how to craft anything. They will understand that a human crafting a tent is a human building shelter. But they wont, no matter how hard it is tried, understand how to build a tent themselves.
A smok family may have non-smoks in it. Sometimes vaporhounds, which are very close to smoks as a species, will be accepted in the group. Smok reproduction requires a host, so from time to time, smoks might invite and take care of a host until their eggs hatch. Some other creatures may be welcome and travel together with a smok family due to an affection bond and/or mutual interest.
Smoks are very intelligent, on a "cartoon pet" level. They can understand words, what they mean, and have very complex emotions. Smoks can ask questions and understand abstract ideas. They cant, however, go so far on them, and are limited in what they can actually learn. The biggest challange on teaching a smok anything is their attention span, and how theyll simply not be interested in things that arent immediate rewards.
For example, a smok will understand a story told to them, and understand its a story and not neccessarely real. They will understand emotions and will feel empathetic when a character is sad. They will, however, not understand how to build a tent, or how to craft anything. They will understand that a human crafting a tent is a human building shelter. But they wont, no matter how hard it is tried, understand how to build a tent themselves.
As companions
Smoks enjoy human company and will take them as a member of their family. They understand that humans are another species with different needs (and some weird habits that they will never really wrap their heads around). Once theyre bonded with a human theyll travel with them and sleep in the same place as them. Theyll leave the house and socialise with nearby smoks however, always coming back to their family.
Smoks will take their humans as an authority figure rather than an owner. If this view is distorted, the smok may see themselves as the authority figure, which leads to manipulative and undesirable behaviour, though not neccessarely ill intended. Once they see the human cant make the decisions in thehouse, theyll assume that role and make decisions such as when its better to migrate. Failure to communicate this wish may make them take desperate measures such as breaking things around the house to make their argument more appealing, or dragging belongings they know are important into a more desirable location to "lure" the human into a what they view as a more suitable place.
In general smoks are very loving and will take care of their human like theyd take care of a smok friend.
Smoks enjoy human company and will take them as a member of their family. They understand that humans are another species with different needs (and some weird habits that they will never really wrap their heads around). Once theyre bonded with a human theyll travel with them and sleep in the same place as them. Theyll leave the house and socialise with nearby smoks however, always coming back to their family.
Smoks will take their humans as an authority figure rather than an owner. If this view is distorted, the smok may see themselves as the authority figure, which leads to manipulative and undesirable behaviour, though not neccessarely ill intended. Once they see the human cant make the decisions in thehouse, theyll assume that role and make decisions such as when its better to migrate. Failure to communicate this wish may make them take desperate measures such as breaking things around the house to make their argument more appealing, or dragging belongings they know are important into a more desirable location to "lure" the human into a what they view as a more suitable place.
In general smoks are very loving and will take care of their human like theyd take care of a smok friend.
Reproduction
Smok reproduction needs three individuals: two smoks and a host. Once a smok and a partner smok are determined into having a kid, theyll try to seduce a host into their territory. There are species in verdimar that take this at their advantage, as hosting for a smok will give them free shelter, food, warmth and protection. Smok breeding season happens in the coldest months of the year, which can be an advantage for multiple species who use this as a way to get warmth.
Other than a host, smoks need access to a safe body of water to have their kids. Once the eggs are hatched and their babies ready for the outside world, the host will lay them in a body of water, where the smoks will spend their first year as a "tadpole". When their legs are long enough and theyre able to harden their body firm enough to stand outside water, theyll follow their family around until fully grown as adults.
The host is dismissed from the group as soon as their duty is done, though some can have a friendly relationship with the same group for years, and return for the same smok family during all breeding seasons. Though smoks get to know which was their host, they dont have any parental feelings towards them.
All smoks in a group take care of their young regardless of they being the biological parents or not. Smoks keep almost constant vigil of the lake they keep their kids in. While an adult smok is inedible to basically everything in verdimar, baby smoks arent hot enough to be a threat and may be preyed upon. This also means theyre very selective about which body of water theyll use for their kindergarden.
During that aquatic phase, smoks will keep the water warm. This is beneficial to some species who prefer sacrificying some of their numbers to dying completely in the cold waters. Baby smoks will eat small fish and kelp and whatever their parents bring them. When they leave water theyll be fully dependant of the parents bringing them food still, slowly exploring ways to get food themselves.
Humans need not to worry about their companions weird reproductive habits. Smoks seek huge hosts akin to the size of a cow or rhinocerous, and a human is simply not their type.
Smok reproduction needs three individuals: two smoks and a host. Once a smok and a partner smok are determined into having a kid, theyll try to seduce a host into their territory. There are species in verdimar that take this at their advantage, as hosting for a smok will give them free shelter, food, warmth and protection. Smok breeding season happens in the coldest months of the year, which can be an advantage for multiple species who use this as a way to get warmth.
Other than a host, smoks need access to a safe body of water to have their kids. Once the eggs are hatched and their babies ready for the outside world, the host will lay them in a body of water, where the smoks will spend their first year as a "tadpole". When their legs are long enough and theyre able to harden their body firm enough to stand outside water, theyll follow their family around until fully grown as adults.
The host is dismissed from the group as soon as their duty is done, though some can have a friendly relationship with the same group for years, and return for the same smok family during all breeding seasons. Though smoks get to know which was their host, they dont have any parental feelings towards them.
All smoks in a group take care of their young regardless of they being the biological parents or not. Smoks keep almost constant vigil of the lake they keep their kids in. While an adult smok is inedible to basically everything in verdimar, baby smoks arent hot enough to be a threat and may be preyed upon. This also means theyre very selective about which body of water theyll use for their kindergarden.
During that aquatic phase, smoks will keep the water warm. This is beneficial to some species who prefer sacrificying some of their numbers to dying completely in the cold waters. Baby smoks will eat small fish and kelp and whatever their parents bring them. When they leave water theyll be fully dependant of the parents bringing them food still, slowly exploring ways to get food themselves.
Humans need not to worry about their companions weird reproductive habits. Smoks seek huge hosts akin to the size of a cow or rhinocerous, and a human is simply not their type.
Feeding
Smoks feed mostly on soft stuff and are the main predator of slimes. They can also eat slugs, soft mollusks, fish, certain plants, fruits, etc.
Smoks will eat absolutely any slime of any size and their groups find it fun to hunt the big ones. Slimes cant digest gushers, so even if they get globbed, theyll still make it out and get a snack on the way.
Smoks feed mostly on soft stuff and are the main predator of slimes. They can also eat slugs, soft mollusks, fish, certain plants, fruits, etc.
Smoks will eat absolutely any slime of any size and their groups find it fun to hunt the big ones. Slimes cant digest gushers, so even if they get globbed, theyll still make it out and get a snack on the way.
Distribuition
Smoks live in all places of verdimar that have plenty access to water. They dont live in deserts, or places that deal with extreme frost. Theyre mostly common in tropical and subtropical climates. In colder climates there are more species who are mutualistic with them as their warmth is a great advantage when dealing with frost. In very hot climates, smoks may migrate to colder areas to reproduce, to keep their kindergarden lakes safe from actually boiling.
In verdimar culture
Totem
The smok is a totem animal of the balance steam branch.
The smok is a totem animal of the balance steam branch.
[Adopt] Obtaining a smok
Avaliable via customs, flatsales, resalles and MYOs
All smoks and their owners are listed in the masterlist hosted on deviantart. To own a smok you need a deviantart account, just so you can update the masterlist when/if you transfer the smok to a new owner.
All smoks and their owners are listed in the masterlist hosted on deviantart. To own a smok you need a deviantart account, just so you can update the masterlist when/if you transfer the smok to a new owner.