In-Depth Information;

Appearance D'jini are large leonine creatures that have some draconic influences; they are built much like a lion with a very long neck and twisting draconic tail. Their full manes are thick and can be styled in a variety of ways, though they do not often cover the undersides of their throats, which can be protected by scales or plates hidden beneath sleek fur. Some d'jini have manes of feathers instead of fur, and rare cloudcats can be completely covered in them, though none have yet been reported with full and functioning wings.

Sexual dimorphism is a common trait in cloudcats. Males will have full, lush manes that can grow to extravagant lengths and long, often intricate antlers; females have shorter manes that sometimes do not go all the way down their long necks, and only have short horns instead of antlers. Males are often much larger and more muscular, while females are smaller, longer, and thinner. Both do not weigh hardly anything, though males may weight somewhat more than females.

The most unique feature of the d'jini is their colors; while horns, claws, teeth and eyes stay a stable, solid color - with any colors possible - their fur changes color with emotion. Colors and intensities can let onlookers immediately discern the feelings of an individual d'jini, and they are incapable of hiding or changing the color by force. Thus, it's held as a stable fact that when near d'jini, keep an eye on its coat color - at all times. Markings are common on d'jini pelts, though they are never of stable colors, and are only lighter and darker colors that also change with emotion.

Culture D'jini live in small prides either on land or in the sky, led by male and female Kings and Queens. An amicable race, they are all-inclusive, and it is not uncommon to see a pride led by two Kings or two Queens, as well as leaders with multiple established mates. These leaders are always the strongest or wisest in the pride, and often work with a council of elders, which is led by the Teller of Stars, a d'jini Seer. The Teller guides the Kings and Queens on what is best for their pride, and is one of the most well-respected of any d'jini group.

Some d'jini do not live in prides; instead, they live alongside their keht'shu companions, often adorned with jewelry and all manner of trinkets, including paint and dyes to accent their beautiful, color-changing coats. Some act as protectors to the keht'shu, and others bond as dragons and riders do, while few become leaders among their cloud-walking friends.

Abilities Crafters of the clouds and travelers of the sky, d'jini can fly like eastern dragons without wings, and can run and stand on clouds that would not otherwise hold a traditional creature. They are very, very light, almost weightless, and can float and fly among the clouds with ease. Though d'jini may have any ability, all have the power to create and build out of clouds, fog, and mist; they can enchant and solidify clouds into solid structures, as well as separate the moisture from the air to create very small, brief, and localized rainstorms. Bits of cloud often clings to them as they pass, and 'shedding the clouds' has become a Ristellan saying for coming down from a joyous moment, such as a d'jini does when returning to the earth from the sky.

Species Origin;

Creation Year: 218. Realm of Origin: Ristell.

None can be sure if it was shortly before or shortly after, but Scylla created the d’jini around the same time she created the first keht’shu.The d’jini, or cloudcat, was to be a friend and companion to the keht’shu, for they would live in the skies, flying from cloud to cloud as they pleased.

To that end, Scylla gathered clouds of all kinds, from the small wispy clouds that drifted high in the sky, to low-lying clouds heavy with rain, puffy white clouds that reflected the sun, and angry, dark storm clouds. She combined them together, and formed them into a shape reminiscent of that of a great lion, though parts of it resembled the form of a dragon. To this, the first d’jini, she gave a thick mane and a long tail, and a thick coat that would change colors with his emotions.

She introduced her new creations to one another, and smiled as they set out to explore their new domain. Over time, she created more cloudcats, until several prides of d’jini lived and hunted among the clouds, often living side by side with clans of keht’shu. Much like the keht’shu, most d’jini have remained on Ristell, though some have migrated to other Realms.

It is also very common to find keht’shu off of Ristell to be accompanied by a cloudcat, particularly in areas where avians might live. With a d’jini on watch, few avians tend to risk its wrath to try to destroy its keht’shu companion’s wings, for a cloudcat, when roused to anger, can become as destructive as a thunderstorm.

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Name: N/A. Location: N/A. Status: Dead.

This Ancient First was a d’jini whose emotional colors almost always ranged in the greens and blues of positive emotion. Sweet and kind, she was something of a loner, preferring the open sky to the company of others, though she treated them with compassion whenever possible. She had will over water, and often brought rain to drought-ridden lands.

subspecies

Apedemak Lions
Classification: Scylla-blessed, good-weather d'jini. Location: abroad, but rare.

Known to be counterparts to the keravnos, apedemak lions are sun-shepherds; rare, blessed d'jini that herald sunlight and good weather wherever they go. Much like d'jini are called cloudcats, many apedemas are referred to as 'sunlions', though they have no relation to actual lions at all. Storms flee in their presence, and clear skies follow them wherever they fly, during any time of the day or night.

Most apedemas do not speak out loud, but use telepathy, allowing their mind's voice to resonate where their physical voice may not. They are seen as a good omen, and are praised for the weather they bring, especially in areas where rain or snow is very common. However, they never stay in one place long, and constantly travel, lest they bring drought to a verdant area.

Unlike normal d'jini, apedemas do not have the fur that changes with their emotions; instead, this has been noted in their eyes, which shift in hue like their cousins' coats do. Their pelts are instead painted the color of the sky that they were hatched under, from dawn purples and pinks and clear blue with faint wisps of cloud, to midnight blues and blacks speckles in glowing stars. Markings are light in color on dayborn apedemas, and dark in color on nightborn - though a reversal has been noted on very rare occasions. Most apedemak lions are hatched from a single-egg nest, and the parents do not often breed.

Apedemak lions have bright, curving horns crowning their heads and tipping their tails, in any color and often crystalline in appearance. These curling horns grow around small orbs that glow and dim in response to the time of day, shifting color according to whatever moons or suns they are under at any given time. Softer of fur and with long, silky manes, apedemas are beautiful creatures and generally keep themselves very well groomed.