Saurian

Saurians (-saurus, plural -saurs) are the dragons of Natlan. They have undergone long years of development and evolution, and unlike dragons in other nations of Teyvat, Saurians are common in Natlan and closely coexist with humanity.^[1]

Overview

Dragons are the original lifeforms of Teyvat, and Natlan was originally host to an advanced dragon civilization called Natlantea. However, after the invasion and conquest by the Heavenly Principles, their dominance was overturned, to be replaced by humanity. The world's new ruler considered Natlan's phlogiston-rich soil part of the Holy Soil phenomenon,^[2] something that benefited the expansion of the dragons^[3] and hindered the capacity of humanity to farm.^[4] As such, at some point, divine nails were cast down to disrupt this. Since dragons possess great adaptability via evolution,^[5][6] the Pyro Vishaps of Natlan underwent significant changes to survive, losing their intelligence and becoming Saurians. Both Kukulkan and Och-Kan considered this a form of "devolution," as the Saurians had lost the wisdom and power of their ancestors.^[7][2]

People in Natlan have a tradition of taking on Saurian companions, with Natlan's warriors dressing in imitation of their companions.^[8] Saurians can choose their human companion and refuse to team up with anyone they don't acknowledge, as seen in the tale of Kuntur, who was ostracized by humans and Saurians alike until he accomplished something great and earned the recognition of an Iktomisaurus comrade.^[9]

According to Wayna, Saurians are simple creatures that cannot easily distinguish right from wrong. Most of the time, they simply follow their emotions and trust their human companions.^[10] Saurians have their own language, which is only understood by other Saurians. Likewise, humans do not understand the natural language of Saurians; tribe members, through their long association with the Saurians of their particular tribe, come to understand the Saurians' intent by their body language and mood. Surviving dragons from before the Pyro Vishaps' devolution into Saurians can understand Saurians, such as Ajaw, one of the Thirteen Sovereign Lords. Most Saurians are incapable of human speech; Cacucu is the only one able to do so, but only a few phrases due to the limits of his vocal cords.

Saurians can live in a myriad of environments outside their associated tribe; large flocks of Qucusaurs have been seen living in Ochkanatlan and the Great Volcano of Tollan. These groups are likely to be wild and have little to no association with humans.

Each of the saurian groups has its own defined, main territory, the borders of which are respected by other saurian tribes and not usually trespassed upon. Entry into another territory is only by the express invitation and escort of another saurian that calls that territory home.^[11] These borders also largely define the territory of the Natlanese tribes.

They are stated to possess fur,^[12] while Iktomisaurs^[13] and Qucusaurs^[14] have feathers.

Yumkasaurs are known to have a life span roughly under that of a century. If they live longer than that, it is considered unnatural, with the Yumkasaur Kongamato living much longer, highly suspected to be from Abyssal contamination.^[15] According to various signboards in the Scions' village, young Yumkasaurs enjoy being touched by their ears, but dislike having their tails groomed. Adult Yumkasaurs enjoy having their tails groomed, showing it off with pride.

Qucusaurs are very prideful and are willing to let people, particularly from the Flower-Feather Clan, to ride them. However, this requires an immense amount of trust between the rider and saurian, as they will refuse to let people ride them if they sense even the slightest of hesitation, as a mistake by the rider would result in severe injuries or even death to both parties.

Iktomisaurs can live long periods of time, as Elder Tlapo is known to be a bit over two centuries old, having grown up alongside Huitzilin and Citlali. They are frequently seen meditating in solitude or with a few others of their kind.

Tatankasaurs are fairly docile, but when angered, become completely unreasonable until their energy is spent.

While humans and Saurians live in harmony in the current era, this does not appear to have always been the case, with Saurians having been subjugated by humanity during Och-Kan's time; in one incident, a man was condemned to death for protecting his tribe's Saurians.^[16] In the modern day, there are also groups that poach Saurians.

Some Saurians like Little One can be born with a distinctive red mark, which is known as the Flamelord's Blessing. Saurians with this mark are noted to have much stronger powers over normal Saurians, but they are considered by the people of Natlan to be dangerous, as Saurians imbued with such power either succumb to it or become insane, which causes the Wayob and Night Kingdom to also reject them. The tribe that is related to the Saurian with the mark are "dealt with" by sending them back to the Night Kingdom. If this option is not chosen, the Saurian and their companion could instead travel to the Great Volcano of Tollan to perform a ritual by washing the name of the companion as remembered by the Fallen Dragon Xiuhcoatl to allow the Night Kingdom to accept them once more, though by the present era, this ritual was considered outdated due to a near nonexistent rate of success. It is later revealed that expression of the Blessing was controlled by Kukulkan after long experimentation, in order to pass on great power and wisdom to future dragons.^[2][17]

Varieties

Historical

• Stegosaurus
  • An individual Stegosaurus named Muhuru^[18] accompanied the hero "Baraka" Sundjatta during the Cataclysm.^[19] Much is unknown about the appearance or abilities of this Saurian species.

Present Day

There are 6 current varieties of Saurians in Natlan:

• Tepetlisaurus
  • They are biped, lizard-like Saurians with large brown-colored bodies, multiple rocky protrusions and large drills on their foreheads. They live in the mines of eastern Natlan, alongside the Nanatzcayan people.^[20] They are able to dig underground and climb Solid Phlogiston crystals, and are capable of dealing close-range Geo damage. An individual Tepetlisaurus Whelp named Little One, also known as the Chosen of Dragons, accompanied the Traveler as they journey through Natlan.
• Yumkasaurus
  • They are biped, lizard or chameleon-like Saurians with slim and bushy green-colored bodies, with feathery ears, large cheeks and a round tail. They live in the trees of southeastern Natlan, alongside the Huitztlan people. They can use their tongues as grappling hooks to soar through the air and scale walls, can temporarily pocket certain objects in their mouths to hurl at enemies, and can deal close-range Dendro damage. An individual Yumkasaurus named Kongamato, also known as the Mountain King, accompanied the hero "Malipo" Burkina during the Cataclysm,^[19] where he killed his partner in a fit of Abyss-tainted rage.
• Koholasaurus
  • They are quadruped, reptile-like Saurians with slim white, black and blue-colored bodies, with multiple fins and horned protrusions. They live in the springs of southern Natlan, alongside the Meztli people. They have the ability to swim at high speeds through water, Liquid Phlogiston, and spiritways, and can deal both long and close-range Hydro damage.
• Qucusaurus
  • They are biped, avian-like Saurians with slim and feathered red-colored bodies and large wings. They live in the mountain peaks of Natlan's northwest, alongside the Tlalocan people. They can fly through both air and Gaseous Phlogiston using their wings, and can deal both long and close-range Pyro damage. An individual Qucusaurus who bore the Flamelord's Blessing, known as Holawaqa Ngoubou or the Goldflame Qucusaur Tyrant, accompanied the hero "Vuka" Menilek during the Cataclysm.^[19]
• Iktomisaurus
  • They are biped, bat-like Saurians with large and fuzzy blue-colored bodies, with beaks, large ears and wings that are separate from their arms. They live in the cliffs of western Natlan, alongside the Mictlan people. They have the ability to fly^[21] by floating up and making themselves as light as a feather,^[22] are capable of entering a "Spiritspeaker" state to store and move certain objects and attributes, and can deal long-range Cryo damage. An individual Iktomisaurus named Mahamba accompanied the hero "Biidi" Sanhaj into the Night Kingdom,^[23] and later joined Sanhaj during the Cataclysm.^[19]
• Tatankasaurus
  • They are quadruped, buffalo-like Saurians with massive and fluffy purple and beige-colored bodies, with several crystal protrusions on their bodies and massive horns atop their heads. They live in the volcanic regions of Natlan's southwest, alongside the Teteocan people. They have the ability to charge and sprint at high speeds to cross large gaps, destroy massive rocks and boulders, and can deal close-range Electro damage. An individual Tatankasaurus named Kayeke accompanied the hero "Uwezo" Wanjiru during the Cataclysm.^[19]

Known Saurians

Tepetlisaurs

26 Characters match the category selection:

Yumkasaurs

13 Characters match the category selection:

Koholasaurs

6 Characters match the category selection:

Qucusaurs

13 Characters match the category selection:

Iktomisaurs

4 Characters match the category selection:

Tatankasaurs

7 Characters match the category selection:

Trivia

• The companions of the heroes mentioned in the lore for Talking Stick are likely to be Saurians, considering how they are all named after mythological creatures, and Kongamato and Holawaqa Ngoubou are the names of Saurian Normal Bosses.
• Long-Necked Rhinos are not considered Saurians.
• The lifespan of a Yumkasaurus is normally less than a century.^[24]

Etymology

• In zoology, "saurian" is used to refer to any species under the sub-order Sauria, a taxonomic class which includes all modern reptiles and similarly extinct ones. The word saurian itself derives from the Ancient Greek word σαῦρος saûros meaning "lizard."
• Iktomi is a spider trickster spirit in Lakota mythology.
• Tepetl means "mountain" in the Nahuatl language.
• Koholā means "humpback whale" in the Hawaiian language.
• Tatanka means "buffalo bull" in the Lakota language.
• Yumká is a forest-dwelling elf in Chontal Mayan culture.
  • Yum Kaax means "lord of the forest" in the Yucatec Mayan language, and is also a god in Mayan culture.
• The name Qucusaur may derive from Qucumatz (standardly spelled Qʼuqʼumatz), the Feathered Serpent god of wind and rain of Kʼicheʼ Maya, where qʼuqʼ means "quetzal" in the Kʼicheʼ language.

Other Languages

Change History

References

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