Basic Biology

Native Region

The Keerie live high in the humid jungles and coastal regions of Ybis.

Biologically

Average Lifespan: 150 years
Average Height: 4'

Keerie are shapeshifters with a gelatinous, organless body that can solidify into different forms. However, they can only shift into things equal to or less than their overall body mass. As their wings make up a significant portion of their body mass, they can shift into large creatures. Despite the Keerie being gelatinous, they must revert to every 48 hours to their original form to rest their body.

The Keerie's natural state is sexless and colourful. Keerie bodies are technically bipedal, with two legs, two arms and a pair of wings. These wings have large hands which can be walked on, serving as a secondary pair of legs. Wings fold back and upward when walking with them. Rather than connecting to the back of their legs, their wing membrane connects to their long, cone-shaped tail. Both their wing-feet and actual feet have talons like a bird. The Keerie also have long ears that end with bulbous tips to sense nearby water sources by "tasting" the air for humidity. Unlike most species of Ybis, the Keerie do not have mouths as they do not need to eat, and their noses are for smelling only. They have no internal organs; instead, they appear more plant-like, with a need to absorb water and sunlight to survive.

As the Keerie do not have a mouth, they communicate through electrical signals sent through the Cord using ozul. Ozul are mushroom-like cartilage around their wrists, neck and ankles, which spread out into a six-pointed star-like structure. When not in use, the tops fold down seamlessly with the rest of the body. When in use, the tops fold up to reveal layers of brightly-coloured cartilage, which vibrate to send signals to other Keerie. The Keerie do not need their ozul folded up to receive signals, only to send them.

Keerie colouring is made up of different tones of the same colour, with the wing membrane being the same colour as their eyes and the layers of their ozul. The Keerie have hair which can be the same colour as their wing membrane or a different shade of their overall colour. Some Keerie change their hair colour through shapeshifting.

Diet

Keerie cannot need to eat, as they have no mouths. Instead, they preform photosynthesis; they take long naps during the middle of the day in the upper canopies of the jungle to give their bodies the energy it needs. They still sleep during the night, but their homes are designed to let the most amount of sunlight in so they wake up feeling fresh. This is why they feel invigorated while flying.

Keerie cannot drink in the traditional sense. Instead, they absorb water through their Ozul. They require water to survive; though they have no limit to the amount they need to absorb, they require 1 litre of water a day to survive. Keerie liquor (mostly wine) is often made from a mixture of insects and fruits and drank only as shots because it is very potent, and seen as a secondary source of fluids.

Body-Mass Accumulation

Keerie body-mass is a careful balance between three factors: sunlight absorption, water absorption and shapeshifting frequency. Too much of all three leads to a larger body-mass (fat) and too little leads to a smaller body-mass (skinny). The Keerie prefer to be in a comfortable middle range, balancing their daily routine with their sunlight and water intake. Most Keerie intake a lot of sunlight and water, leading to a larger body-mass being the most common and socially desirable.

Reproduction

The Keerie reproduce asexually through a process of splitting and combination. When ready to have a clutch, a Keerie create a small pocket on their body, which they will slowly separate from their "greater gelatinous whole." These separated pockets are combined with other Keerie pockets to combine DNA, which prevents genetic clones from passing down abnormalities and slowly degrading genetic sequencing through imperfect copies. These combined pockets then incubate for six weeks in nests made by the parents, developing into soft-shelled eggs inside the embryonic sack of the pocket. Typically, one parent will remain with the nest at all times, acting as the incubator and keeping the eggs warm with their body heat. The pocket sack will slowly be absorbed into the eggs until it is time to hatch, at which point the Keerie will use their talons to pierce the shell of the egg. Once hatched, hatchlings require sunlight and water, so they are commonly placed in a small pool near the nest that has access to direct sunlight. If a clutch hatches in the night, moonlight will nurture the hatchlings until dawn, though parents typically move their hatchlings higher in the canopy for the greatest exposure.

On average, a clutch of Keerie eggs is 3-6 hatchlings. There is no limit to the number of Keerie that can participate in a clutch, though typically, it is only 2-4. However, Keerie are unable to split until they reach adulthood at the age of 20.

Keerie create nests while splitting out of anything soft. Blankets, clothing, pillows, etc. This nest is made by all parents and are done so in nesting rooms, which will turn into nursery rooms slowly to raise their hatchling in.