May I introduce my new open species, the Derkobold!

Derkobolds were once thought of as Gods of Fertility and Truth, varying on the region you traveled to, because they often showed up at fertility festivals, and enjoy playing tricks on unfaithful lovers.

In the modern age they are no longer thought of as Divine, and their fur is highly coveted for believed magical properties. Derkobolds can change their shape into almost anything, however they can't stay in any form but their natural one for long. They naturally don't get much bigger than 2-3ft in height, and have been seen walking/running on all fours and on two legs.

These little imps are mostly carnivorous, feeding on small birds, fish and amphibians, and the odd small mammal. They have a long, retractable tongue that they use mostly for hunting. They can be seen in the day or night, if you are lucky enough to see one in the first place, but most favor nocturnal life.

They have large eyes that are built to take in a lot of light so they have near perfect vision, their third eye between their brows sees in infa-red which allows them to see the heat radiating from objects. Their large ears are also useful for hunting and in old days were said to be used to tell when a person was lying. It is also rumored that they can eco-locate, but this has not been proven or dis-proven by science as of yet. These elusive creatures have horns made of hard stone, no one is quite sure why.

The Derkobolds come in a wide variety of colors, some say they are as diverse as a rainbow, and have various markings, the only similarity between all of them is the diamond type marking over their third eye. There are Albino of the species but they are rare, only about 5%, and are quite elusive and hard to tame, but can be won over with sweets. Obsideans are even more rare, they have a black coat and tend to be more aggressive, they only make up 2% of the population.

Derkobolds are found mostly through Europe and Asia, but there are a few unconfirmed sightings of them in North America.

Species, Art © Niji Tenshi AKA Tempy Gentlewing and Gentlewing Creations