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CRYSTALS

        ♦ Crystals make up much of an Arkaine, since their entire skeletal structure (including claws and teeth) are crystalline.
        These crystals are unlike normal or natural growing crystals, as they are extremely durable (almost as hard as diamond),
        and hold a very dense magical property.
        
        ♦ Crystals are always somewhat transparent unless Arkaine has a mutation.

        ♦ Color: Arkaine crystals are always either 1 solid color, or a gradient of two. Any other color combination is a mutation.

        ♦ Horns: Arkaines have two horns that sprout from their foreheads. The base shape of these crystals can be square, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal.
        These horns grow directly up towards the sky from the skull, and nerves usually are present up into the first two inches of an Arkaine’s visible horns.
        Horns are often kept between 2-8 inches, as usually any longer OR shorter is extremely painful on the nerves at the base.
        Horns grow fairly quickly compared to other crystal placements, usually about as quickly as human hair.

        ♦ Mindstone: All Arkaine have a mindstone between their eyebrows. This stone is always diamond shaped.
        It is thought that this is the crystal directly connected with the mind.
        This crystal grows with the Arkaine, but doesn’t grow anymore after maturity.

        ♦ Lifethorn: This is the most ‘important’ Arkaine crystal, as it is a window to their soul.
        The lifethorn is always in an elongated hexagonal shape, and flashes color with the rhythm of the Arkaine heartbeat. This light fades when an Arkaine dies.
        It is thought that this is the crystal directly connected with the heart and the soul. ‘Lifethorn’ generally refers to the actual glow of the crystal.
        This crystal grows with the Arkaine, but doesn’t grow anymore after maturity.

        ♦ Crystal Patches: Most Arkaines have crystals sprouting up through the flesh and fur from many places all over their bodies, usually in small patches.
                ♦ These patches of crystals can be asymmetrical or symmetrical.
                ♦ It is considered somewhat rare to have many crystals upon the face, as face crystals (other than horns and mindstone) are not very common.
                ♦ Crystal patches grow very slowly, only about a centimeter per year, and usually are often shaved down close to the fur for easier living and care.
                ♦ An excessive amount of crystal patches is forbidden. At maximum, only up to 25% of your Arkaine will be covered in crystals unless it has Overgrowth.

        ♦ Magic: The magic essence, or ‘magik’ as it’s called within the Realm, that Arkaine crystals carry still baffles researchers and scholars.
        No other substance is similar in the Prism Realm or any other realms for that matter. Magik is generally less powerful outside of the Prism Realm.

        ♦ Rarities: There are many cases of Arkaine crystal mutation such as;
                ♦ Opaque - A mutation in which the crystals are not transparent, and instead are completely opaque (not see-through).
                ♦ Missing Mindstone - A mutation where an Arkaine is born without a mindstone. There is only one known case.
                ♦ Unihorn - A crystal mutation where an Arkaine only has one horn.
                ♦ ‘Crowned’ - A crystal mutation where a small patch of crystals will grow on the crown of the head of an Arkaine, giving them a natural ‘crown’ look.
                Only Arkaines of royal blood can have this, which is fitting.
                ♦ Opal - A mutation in which the crystals have a iridescent quality, where certain parts or all of the crystal will refract rainbow-like colors in the sun.
                ♦ Overgrowth - A mutation in which the crystals grow rapidly and plentiful. This condition is usually painful.
                ♦ Color Mutation - A mutation in which the crystal color is not a solid color or a gradient of two different color.

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FUR

        ♦ Fur texture and length varies between sub-races. Clipping fur is not uncommon, but there are no hairless Arkaines.

                ♦ Standard fur is plush and medium-length all over the body.
                (Earth Example: German Shepherd)

                ♦ Royal fur is silky, and generally shorter on the body, with feathering at the tail, ears, and sometimes cheeks. Fur can be straight or wavy.
                (Earth Example: Golden Retriever)

                ♦ Pointe fur is very short and smooth.
                (Earth Example: Short Haired Dachshund)

                ♦ Glacial fur is thickly double-coated. Both the undercoat and the outer coat is plush, soft, and thick. 
                (Earth Example: Siberian Husky)

                ♦ Koami fur is thickly double-coated, very dense and plush. The undercoat is thick and soft, and the outer coat is longer, coarser hairs. 
                Koami is the only breed that can have extra feathering anywhere on their body. This fur is always wavy (but not quite poodle curly).
                (Earth Example: Rough Collie, but with wavier fur)

                ♦ Samora fur is extremely plush, and thick. Their double coat helps them keep warm in their underground cave.
                A mane of thicker fur often grows along the spine, and can grow along the achilles & calf. Cheeks are often also fluffy, as are the outsides and insides of ears.
                (Earth Example: Maned Wolf)

        ♦ Arkaine fur can be any natural color, and have any natural markings that canines on Earth can have.
        Some common markings include: bi or tri-colored, tuxedo, spotted, saddle, sable, and much more.

        ♦ Fur Colors:
                ♦ Red
                ♦ Gold (blondes)
                ♦ Cream
                ♦ White
                ♦ Black
                ♦ Brown
                ♦ Blue (cool grey)
                ♦ Lilac (warm grey)
                ♦ Grey (no saturation)

        ♦ Rarities: There are many cases of Arkaine fur mutation such as;
                ♦ Mauve - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with a mauve tint to their brown, gold, or cream fur.
                ♦ Solid - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with 1 color of fur and absolutely no markings.
                ♦ Spotted - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with spots in their pelt. (Spots can be small or large and are always rounded.)
                ♦ Merle - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with a painting-like assortment of natural colors in their pelt.
                ♦ Moss - A mutation where a *Samora Arkaine is born with brindle-like markings on their body. These markings can look 'spot'-like or 'stripe'-like.
                ♦ Shimmer Shards - A mutation where a *Samora Arkaine is born with tiny shards of crystal growing from their hair or mane.
                This tends to look like glitter to the untrained eye.

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FLESH & BLOOD

        ♦ Flesh can be the same color as an Arkaine’s crystals, or a more natural color, but it must be one or the other.
        This includes the flesh under their fur, their nose, their pawpads, and the inside of the ears.

        ♦ Blood is usually the color of the lifethorn (the glow within the chest crystal) but can sometimes be the color of crystals.

        ♦ Natural Nose/Flesh Colors:
                ♦ Black
                ♦ Brown
                ♦ Pink
                ♦ Spotted
                ♦ Mauve 
                ♦ Peach
                ♦ Blue

        ♦ Rarities: There is one known case of Arkaine fur / blood mutation such as:
                ♦ Black Blood - A mutation where an Arkaine has blood as black as a night sky, and is almost oil-slick-like, in which it’s iridescent in the sunlight.
                Black Blooded Arkaines are believed to possess rare and unusual abilities, and it is thought that these Arkaines are chosen by Valontras herself.
                ♦ Albino - A mutation where an Arkaine is born without pigment in their flesh & fur.

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EYES

        ♦ Eyes are fairly similar to those of a human, but an Arkaine’s iris is considerably larger than a human’s in comparison to the rest of the eye.
        Arkaines have keen eyesight, making a human’s dim light, bright light.

        ♦ The iris can be any color. The iris glows the color of an Arkaine’s lifethorn when magic is used. 

        ♦ The pupil is *always a darker color of the iris, it is never black, but can seem grey or white if the Arkaine is blind.
        (*Samora Arkaine's pupils are always white or a lighter color of their iris.)

        ♦ The sclera is usually white.

        ♦ Rarities: There are few cases of Arkaine eye mutation such as;
                ♦ Black Sclera - A mutation where a Black Blooded Arkaine is born with a pitch black sclera.
                ♦ Heterochromia - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with two different colored eyes.

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EARS

        ♦ Ears are fox-like and triangular in shape. Ears on an Arkaine generally sit higher up on the skull than human ears.

        ♦ They can be anywhere from 6 to 16 inches long, both being the respective extreme.

        ♦ Standard & Pointe ears range from 8-12 inches long.

        ♦ Royal ears are generally longer than any other breeds, usually around 12-16 inches long.

        ♦ Glacial ears are stubbier than most other breeds, and usually around 6-10 inches long.

        ♦ Koami ears are almost always folded into a Button Ear position, and are usually around 6-12 inches long.

        ♦ Samora ears are the smallest ears, usually around 4-6 inches long. They are usually rounded, and very fluffy at the base, and inside of the ear.

        ♦ Rarities: There are few cases of Arkaine ear mutation such as;
                ♦ Button Ears - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with ears that are flopped forward and not standardly erect. (Earth Example: Aussie)

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TAIL

        ♦ Arkaine tails are usually a little over half the length of an Arkaine’s legs. They are usually either straight or curved upwards.

        ♦ Cropping tails down to small nubs is somewhat uncommon, but it does happen.

        ♦ Rarities: There are few cases of Arkaine tail mutation such as;
                ♦ High Curl - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with a tail that is naturally coiled instead of simply curved. (Earth Example: Akita)
                ♦ Mythical - A mutation where an Arkaine is born with multiple tails (min. 2 / max. 6)
                ♦ Lush Royal Tail - A mutation where a Royal Arkaine is born with an elongated tail, usually reaching down to the floor.

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HAIR

        ♦ Human-like hair is common for the species, but it is not uncommon for an Arkaine to not have hair.

        ♦ All hair is naturally colored, but can be dyed.

        ♦ Hair is usually naturally wavy/curly. Straight hair is less common.

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MAGICAL ABILITY

        ♦ The magical ability of the Arkaine is unlike that of any other species, as it is completely unique to them.

        ♦ Arkaine's magics dwell within their crystals (including their bones) and bloodstream.
        This is common knowledge, and magic is considered the God’s greatest gift to the Arkaines other than life itself.

        ♦ When an Arkaine uses their magic, their eyes glow the color of their lifethorn.

        ♦ It has been found that Arkaine crystals hold an amplifying effect on almost all forms of magic, but specifically Arkaine magic.

        ♦ Other beings can not use Arkaine magic, but have been known to use their crystals to enhance their abilities.

        ♦ When crystals are still attached to the Arkaine, they both act as a magic-enhancer for the Ark, and a magic-nuller for any other species/type of magic.
        (I.E. - If an non-Ark puts 100 points of health into an Arkaine, the Arkaine would only gain 50.
        If an non-Ark deals 100 points of magic damage, the Arkaine would only take 50.)

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AGEING 

        ♦ Arkaines age much differently than humans do.

        ♦ After a full-year gestation period, a small pup is brought into the world by mother with help from Kamales.
        Infants are often wrapped in fabric and slung either close to the chest or on the back of a parent or caretaker.
        They are generally breastfed over the first year of their lives before being introduced to the other liquids and soft foods.

        ♦ Arkaines reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans (at about 25 years), however the Arkaine understanding of Adulthood goes beyond
        physical growth to encompass knowledgeable experience. Once physical maturity is reached, an Arkaine will stop growing/showing signs of ageing.

        ♦ An Arkaine typically claims Adulthood around the age of 50 and can live to be over 850 years old.

        ♦ All Arkaines age the same, no matter of abilities possessed or power.

        ♦ It is common for fur to begin greying and for eyesight to be lost within the last few years of an Arkaine’s natural life.

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Crystals

Fur

Flesh & Blood

    Eyes        

Ears

Tail