Vaettir Elk

Vaettir in mythology usually means elf or nature-esque. I want to make a glorious elk with long antlers that live in forest, and have sharper senses. I thought it would be neat to have a very forest-y kind of creature.

They'd live on P1, in forests.

I plan to sprite them, but if any problems occur, help would be appreciated.

I will make sketches soon.

Oh yes, it sounds gorgeous!

Update, I'll start working on these guys now.

and I decided to incorporate even more nature into these guys by putting leaves on the antlers, the leaves will be Japanese maple leaves
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Acer_palmatum_sango_kaku.jpg/800px-Acer_palmatum_sango_kaku.jpg

Okay so why would leaves grow on the antlers? Seriously that wouldn't make much sense.
Also elks aren't really famous for their "glorious" appearance so I actually think it will look more deer like so why not call it one instead?

Seph wrote:Okay so why would leaves grow on the antlers? Seriously that wouldn't make much sense.
Also elks aren't really famous for their "glorious" appearance so I actually think it will look more deer like so why not call it one instead?

Because Elks are awesome.

The great amenitenshi has mold and stuff on it's back, idk why this guy couldn't have leaves.

Well TCA described why moss and fungi grow on their back. You just say because it looks cool and naturally which isn't really an explanation.

Seph wrote:Well TCA described why moss and fungi grow on their back. You just say because it looks cool and naturally which isn't really an explanation.

There's genetic experiments, jelly cubes, hydras, gas mantes, dragons with backs on fire and stuff, I have no idea why this stood out as not making sense to you...

Because all those other things explain WHY they do that. The flaming dragons excrete flammable gases, the jelly cube is a joke creature and is therefore exempt (or, alternatively, is a giant cubic amoeba colony), the genetic experiments have SCIENCE behind them, and the gas mantas are biologically feasible. If you want the antlers to have leaves, you could say that the antlers are actually symbiotic trees growing on their heads or that the leaves are small growths that resemble leaves but aren't really leaves.

The point as to the feasibility is that when the creature has an atypical feature, you should explain how or at least why the creature has it. For instance, when I came up with the Iaelo I didn't go digging to find out the exact biochemical constructs that would be neccessary for it to filter out the lighter gasses from the air or as a byproduct of their respiration, but I made it plain that that's how they stay afloat and that their bodies filtered the air.

Anyway, to that point, most animals don't grow leaves. There's a single-celled organism that eats when there's low light and photosynthesizes when there's no food, but so far no multi-cellular organism does that. You could say that the leaves are a byproduct of a long-standing symbiosis--similar to bulbasaur's dex data or what is speculated about mitochondria--that provides extra energy to the elk. Or, like TCA said, they're fake leaves that are for camouflage or something.

Now, to the point of deer and elk, elk are bigger than deer and have a unique kind of antler--though deer have a crazy spectrum of antler types anyway--as well as a fluffier neck, almost like a mane. Also, if you look at this picture you'll notice that the face, jaw and head is a little more distinct than the deer pictures up there. I believe elk are considered to be more "stately" than deer as well, though that's just a public opinion I've observed. I'd say if you took a deer and moved toward moose and stopped just short of reindeer, you'd end up with an elk.

As for my personal opinion, I live in Montana so half of the places I've been have stuffed deer and elk around, and I've gotta say elk are prettier. Maybe I'm biased because it's not elk that stop my car in the middle of the street or eat the crap out of my baby cherry tree, but I'd much prefer modeling something after an elk than a deer; whitetail, mule, or otherwise.

What if the leaves and antlers are a kind of plant that is in a symbiotic relationship with it, and gives it energy?

Digidude123 wrote:What if the leaves and antlers are a kind of plant that is in a symbiotic relationship with it, and gives it energy?

TCA wrote:If you want the antlers to have leaves, you could say that the antlers are actually symbiotic trees growing on their heads

Ahem.

TheCompleteAnimorph wrote:

Digidude123 wrote:What if the leaves and antlers are a kind of plant that is in a symbiotic relationship with it, and gives it energy?

TCA wrote:If you want the antlers to have leaves, you could say that the antlers are actually symbiotic trees growing on their heads

Ahem.

Oh, lol, im sorry TCA

Call me what you may, but I just feel like this concept is too similar to a generation five pokémon, Sawsbuck.

Also, will the females and males both possess antlers or just the males, like in real life? In that case, you'd need to explain why the females don't need this symbiotic relationship. Otherwise, you could possibly have them keep these plants year-round, and use it to feed their young when food is sparse in the winter? I'm just bouncing things around at the moment, though.

Drakkon wrote:Call me what you may, but I just feel like this concept is too similar to a generation five pokémon, Sawsbuck.

Also, will the females and males both possess antlers or just the males, like in real life? In that case, you'd need to explain why the females don't need this symbiotic relationship. Otherwise, you could possibly have them keep these plants year-round, and use it to feed their young when food is sparse in the winter? I'm just bouncing things around at the moment, though.

Females:no antlers.

I'm going to think of that, or just scratch the leaves.