Overview

 

Broadback Sickletail's (henceforward BBSTs) are a surprisingly lightweight species of aquatic dragon. This is owed to their levitation ability, which they can use to lower their own weight to be even lighter than air, floating through the air same as they float through water. Due to this, they've adapted for both aquatic and aerial life quite well, but still prefer the water overall as it's less taxing.

 

BBSTs are not the quickest in air or sea, but are strong and steady, notable for their very smooth and comfortable rides.

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Appearance

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BBSTs are large, bulky animals. They measure about 20 ft long, and are thick with blubber. They have two large fins on top that are actually modified dragon wings that are largely non-functional, being used more for show. They have two rows of sharp needle-like teeth, the first three on the top and bottom of the outer set stick out of the mouth. They have two sets of slit-pupil eyes, with a smaller set placed above the larger set. Their tail is a cross between a fin and a fluke, able to rotate in whatever direction the BBST needs, making them surprisingly agile.

 

Their crest is a single rod in the center of the forhead, two more on either side, and a web connecting the three and their curved horns together. The horns don't move, but the rest of the crest can be flared up or down depending on the BBST's mood. A blowhole is situated right in behind their crest, just far enough for the water spray to not hit it. Their colors tend towards blue, but can also be purple or green, with patches of other colors.

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Diet

 

BBSTs are primarily piscivores, eating mainly fish and shellfish. They can eat other kinds of meats, but it tends to give them upset stomachs.

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Reproduction

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Breeding season starts in late spring and lasts for about two weeks. Males' crest will brighter considerably, and they will become more aggressive, headbutting anything they see as a challenge. Afterwards, females will lay between 10-30 tiny eggs, each about the size of a baseball.

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Lifecycle

 

Young hatchling grow fast, doubling in size every few weeks. For the first year of their life they'll stick close to their mother, eating from her kills. As they get older, they'll branch out and hunt more on their own, until they eventually are completely independent from her.

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Temperament

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BBSTs are placid animals, tending to go with the flow. They don't get agitated easily, barring males during breeding season.

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Sapience

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While not natively sapient, travel to other worlds via portals has a chance of altering their neurology and inducing sapience. Notably, eggs transported through worm-holes and the like will almost always be born with sapience. No one is quite sure what causes this phenomenon.

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Abilities: Levitation, Ecolocation, Water Spray Breath​