Tawal

An Original Species By Splackjack

Tawal are a mole like species that can be found anywhere there is civilization. They live in warrens deep beneath the earth and are known to share the treasures they unearth with surface dwellers. They have a tendency to absorb the cultures of others around them making them extremely diverse. Tawal enjoy adding objects and trinkets from the surface to their warrens. They are docile, curious, and highly adaptable.If you would like your own tawal, they are entirely free to make! This species is fully open to the public and as long as the basic rules are followed, I don't mind seeing people get creative with them!

Origins

Tawal origin beliefs differ from warren to warren. Some tawal revere Pan as their creator god, and refer to him as the "Mountain King". Not every Warren holds this belief. However, it's largely understood that they were created by the spirit of the earth to serve as peaceful custodians of the land. The first tawal were found in geode-like eggs by treasure hunters long ago, and when released greeted the world with friendly smiles. From then on, they have spread to every corner of the globe, enriching the land and caring for all who live on it.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Tawal do not have the same reproductive organs as other species, as they reproduce magically. When two bonded tawal desire to have a child, both will venture on their own to find a stone or geode, and when one is selected they will each pour in a portion of their spirit, turning the geode into an egg. The egg will usually hatch within about two weeks.
Tawal young, referred to as kittens, will stay with their parents until about 8 years of age, when they're old enough to begin learning from the teachers of the warren. They will then join other kittens to begin their training phase. A tawal reaches full adulthood at about 20 years of age. Their lifespan can reach anywhere from 150 to 200 years old.

Habitat and Culture

Tawal live most of their lives in underground warrens, and as such are excellent diggers. They've been known to tunnel their way deep into mountains, and sometimes even find themselves underneath civilized cities. Their skills with digging can mostly be attributed to their long, blunt claw like fingers. Their constant burrowing often turns up unexpected treasures hidden deep in the earth, which they tend to bring to the surface. These treasures serve as their main source of trade with others, helping them barter their way into any given society with relative ease. It's not uncommon to see a small group of tawal peddling their wears out in the street, or even running their very own market stall. Many tawal delight in sharing their wares and stories, and it's common for a twalian merchant to wax poetic about their treasure hunting.
There is no singular monolithic twalian culture, as the species is too far spread and numerous. Instead, tawal will share in and take on the cultures of the closest civilizations to their warrens. Because of this the tawal themselves have a diverse range of identities, beliefs, traditions, values, and ambitions. They're capable of learning any language they're exposed to, when in the warrens they tend to speak Twali, their own language. Twali consists of musical sounding chirps, yodels, purrs, and clicks.

Tawal Subspecies

Clown Tawal

Clown tawal refer to any tawal that are of unnatural colorations, often highly saturated or straight up neon. Clown tawal occure when the geode egg that they hatch from happens to contain brightly colored precious stones and metals. While not as common as their regular cousins, clown tawal are still very plentiful. Some bear markings with iridescent, almost metallic sheens and in some rare cases they can even have bioluminescent markings!
Clown tawal may also have non-standard features such as small non-functional wings, double ears, or horns. As long as they still bear their signature claws, heavy tails, and hoof-paws, anything goes!

Other Variants

Depending on the biome they settle in can effect the appearance of a tawal.Mountain tawal tend to be slightly bulkier with thicker fur, and are well suited for their environments. These tawal have tougher hooves and claws capable of breaking stone.Desert tawal tend on the shorter side, with larger ears and longer eyelashes. They often will have thicker hooves that spread slightly much like that of a camel.Jungle Tawal tend to be lankier, with longer arms made for climbing and swinging in trees. These tawal are the only variant with light, whiplike tails made for holding onto tree branches. While still underground dwelling, jungle tawal love being on the surface.

Tawal Creation Guide

Tawal can switch between a bipedal and quadrupedal stance at will. They tend between 3 and 4 feet tall, but can be bigger or smaller depending on the environment. Standard tawal are usually naturally colored, with hues that tend towards neutral earthy tones. Clown tawal can have any color under the rainbow!

MYO Bases

These bases are available for free to edit and color. More bases and poses are planned in the future!

Species Rules

You can make your own Standard or Clown tawal.
You may use them as fursonas, or put them in your own original stories.
You may create adopts of the species as long as you credit me as the species creator.
You may not claim the species as your own.
You may not use them in commercial works without my permission.

Contact

To contact me, click any of the links below