Species:boba dragons

Icarusian Boba Dragons
Icarusian Boba Dragons are a closed online species belonging to ObsinBrightclaw/Wulfenite. Please do not create or attempt to sell designs of or based on this species without direct permission to do so. However, while it's preferred that the wish for the species to remain closed is respected, if you truly want to make unofficial Boba Dragons you can use the name of "Bubble-tail dragons" to mark them as such.
If you have a concept for a small group/cult/etc. that you'd like to possibly have added to the official lore, please feel free contact the species owner to discuss it!
Masterlist linked here temporarily.

What are Boba Dragons?

The Basics
Boba Dragons are a curious species of dragon that live in a realm known as Icarusian. These creatures are quite small - on average a fully grown dragon can be anywhere between 3-5ft in height, and the smallest they can get is 2'5, while the largest is 7'5. Boba Dragons are characterized by their usually closed, often multiple sets of eyes, small stature and flat feet, fur of various lengths and slightly disproportionately small wings, their lanterns and their goopy tails filled with boba. Some are commonly found in anthropomorphic forms, where they can walk upright with digitigrade legs. Boba Dragons have opposable thumbs regardless of which form they're in, although it's optional to draw a dragon with or without them. They possess pads on the bottom of their feet the same colour of their flesh.
No two Boba Dragons look the exact same, partially thanks to their traits, and dragons can have any colour except for jet black or straight white. They also have different fur lengths and body shapes. They seem to all lack any type of animal ears, instead having many types of crests that, with some exceptions, puff up or droop to convey moods. Their neck fur is also used in much the same way as birds' neck feathers- the fur around a dragons' neck can fluff up if the dragon is cold, excited, angry or uncomfortable.
Boba Dragons do not have genders! They often take on gender identities such as male/female/demi, but they don't have any reproductive organs whatsoever, and anthropomorphic forms lack any gender-defining features such as breasts. They can identify as transgender however, if they've been using a pronoun for years and then decide to change it. These dragons also don't have many organs - They possess lungs, a pouch in which their food dissolves almost instantly and leaves behind no waste products, and a special organ at the back of their neck, just below their head, that stores and channels their magic when using it as a breath attack. Boba Dragons also possess a skeletal structure, although their bones are made of solidified goop (the same kind found in their tails), and are very hard to break.
The tail of a dragon is very rarely solid, though there are many who possess such traits. Non-solid tails have a waterbed consistency, as they are surrounded by a filmy membrane that contains the goop within - this membrane is extremely durable, despite also being soft, and cannot be pierced easily. The tail also acts as a shock absorber, making Boba Dragons incredibly resilient and hardy. Boba Dragons' bodies are filled with the same goop from their tails, filled with magic, which forms clumps that act as muscles within their bodies and if it comes in contact with air, it will solidify after a little while. The goop also acts as blood, and if a dragon is damaged enough to bleed then the dripping goo will congeal in the wound and begin to heal within moments. Thanks to this, it's very rare to see a dragon with permanent scarring unless the wounded spot is irritated and damaged too often before it can recover. They are even capable of regenerating entire limbs, sort of like an axolotl. Torn wing membranes and crests or chips missing from a dragon's horns, claws or spines, or dents in its scales if it has them, aren't too uncommon.
Boba Dragons are able to see even without the open eyes trait! They rely on their magic as well as their other senses to map out their surroundings, using their magic to 'see' as though they had open eyes. Their lanterns also help them with this, as they strengthen and widen the range of sensory magic the dragon has.

Lanterns
Why are lanterns so important? Well, multiple reasons. Lanterns are used as a social status in many cases, the rarer the lantern or the more lanterns a dragon has, the more respectable they are. This is because each lantern is tied directly to its owner's life force and magic! A healthy dragon's lantern will be glowing brightly, while an unhealthy dragon's flame will dim. This fire doesn't go out, as long as the lantern is still in one piece and its owner is alive. Lanterns also strengthen their owner's magic - a rarer lantern gives stronger magic, and more than one lantern adds to the effect as well.
It's very hard to break lanterns, and it's also extremely hard to make them! They are literally infused with powerful magic to keep them working the way they do, so to create or fix one, a dragon must have immensely strong magic in order to do so, and the same goes for breaking them. If a lantern is broken or destroyed, it will lose all its infused magic and become brittle and useless - if a dragon intends to get it fixed, they must handle the pieces with care in order to avoid damaging them further. The same is also true to a dead dragon, as their lantern will become incredibly fragile.
It's possible to repurpose a lantern! If a Boba Dragon has strong enough magic, they can reset a lantern and reignite the fire inside, and by doing so ties the lantern to their own magic. It takes a specific type of skill to reignite a lantern for another dragon, and most areas have at least one or two of these skilled magic users - normally referred to as craftmasters.
Every dragon receives a lantern upon reaching adulthood, and dragons will generally always keep their favourite lantern with them at all times, both to guard their important object and to use as a light source when exploring or working in dark areas or at night. Where do these lanterns come from? The Ancient One! Each time a new dragon is hatched, he gifts a lantern to them once they're old enough, or to their parents or guardians to give them.

General Personalities
Most Boba Dragons are highly sociable, curious, relaxed, and overall good-natured, although as with anything, this is highly varied per individual. As a species, they are known to love exploring and can be rather clumsy - often ending with a dragon stuck in odd places or falling down into lakes, ravines or caves. While many dragons are laid-back and don't really guard anything, many more take up the role of defenders of a certain object, individual, or area. Others may travel different worlds, becoming part of the folklore in areas they frequent, or feared by those who don't understand them.
Typically, most dragons won't actually attack with their magic unless provoked. Magic is mainly used idly to shape the area more to a dragon's liking, to show off to their friends, to intimidate a threat, or simply to practice. When pushed far enough however, if intimidation doesn't work then magic is used first - despite being hardy and entirely capable of taking hits that they recover from quickly, most dragons prefer to avoid physical combat and will rely on distancing themselves and keeping their magic attacks between them and their foe. Failing that, they will resort to using their teeth and claws, ramming head-first to attack with their horns, and using their wings to swat at and disorient the offender.

Old-World Boba Dragons
The term "Old-World" in Incarusian refers to a small group of dragons hatched from pearls created in the first five batches ever made. OW's are known to be more strict and serious than the modern-day dragons, being fiercely dedicated to guarding their chosen focus and taking little nonsense. They mostly lack the trademark curiosity and relaxed attitude of most Boba Dragons, although there are still exceptions even to this.
-Note: If you want to make your dragon an Old-World and there is a slot open, please contact ObsinBrightclaw to discuss it-
List of Old-Worlds:
The First: Blu, Akalha, Baeda, Planewalker, Astra, Imbuko, Luceat, Gaxaila, Gravide -No Slots Open-
The Second: Relic, Quantum, Korik, Chaos, Thalalne, Xiivoko, Solinus, Puno'Johtaja -2 Open Slots-
The Third: Grey, Shūen, Hegyi Állat, Halberd, Megváltó Fenevad, Ilumikavo -4 Open Slots-
The Fourth: Kai'Gata, Grimma, Incineus, Leviathan, Lux -6 Open Slots-
The Fifth: Porcelain, Pearlkeeper, Wobbegong, TanMedPrim, Silverstorm, Inveiji, Auris, Trioa -5 Open Slots-


The Deities
Boba Dragons are not a very religious species, although they do have six 'gods'. The deities are the first six of the species to exist, and so are the most powerful Boba Dragons known. They're also considerably larger than normal Boba Dragons, along with possessing ancient magic. The deities also each have their own single apprentice to help them with tasks and carry messages.
Do not create deities or claim a dragon to be an apprentice unless you have direct permission from the species owner.
The Ancient One, the original first Boba Dragon to have ever existed, is the center of the species' version of religion; he is seen as the embodiment and guardian of life, possessing the power to create more of his kind at will as well as being able to control and shape the world's ancient magic to care for his kind. His name, Akomitobiya, was lost to time, and so he's simply referred to as "The Ancient One".
His apprentice is Akalha.

Erodil - The deity of stars and guidance. He is the one who allows Boba Dragons to seemingly 'teleport' and move through universes. Erodil is considered the most withdrawn and mysterious of the Essentials. He is never seen as he patrols the borders of Icarusian, using his magic to transport his kind and keep outsiders away.
His apprentice is Baeda.

Aurus - The deity of the land and magic. Aurus is seen as the most active and powerful of the Five Essentials. She possesses the power to reset or revive entire ecosystems, and in the very few instances that she's been seen, she is rumoured to have the power to massively strengthen a dragon's magic temporarily through her presence alone.
Her apprentice is Astra.

Phaseus - The deity of the sea and night, seen as a laid-back Essential who rarely interacts. They are capable of changing underwater ecosystems, and have the ability to override the moon's effects on tides at will. There's an old legend that warns dragons not to overhunt or damage the ocean, lest Phaseus become enraged and plague the world with storms.
Their apprentice is Solar Breeze.

Leania - The deity of the air and day. Possessing the power to create intense weather disasters, and a distinct control over fire, Leania is known to be the most unforgiving of the Essentials. He is thought to also be the one behind the strange, rare plants occasionally found around the realm that change a dragon's diet.
His apprentice is Solinus.

Pouera - The deity of balance and order, fire and ice. Pouera is the calmest of the Essentials, taking the role of judge between the rest of the group. They have considerable power, able to virtually 'edit' an ecosystem and, rumour has it, entirely negate a dragon's magic at will. There's a popular conspiracy that they live in the center of a black hole.
Their apprentice is Blueflare.

Other notable information and groups


Dragons outside Icarusian
Boba Dragons are fairly commonly seen outside of their home world, and with help from Erodil, are able to world-jump at any given time. What they do outside of Icarusian depends on the dragon, although in most cases they become guardians of something they deem important enough, travel, or simply befriend other creatures. They have been known to sometimes learn languages other than their native language as well.
They are also incredibly hardy in any environment, able to eat small amounts of just about any material they can get hold of that isn't a part of their main diet every now and then as well - although eating too much of something outside of their diet at a time will cause them to become sick, with symptoms not unlike that of food poisoning.
Certain types of food also do not sit well with a dragon overall, and a dragon with a diet that does not directly include one of these foods will become instantly unwell from consuming them.


Reproduction
Since Boba Dragons lack the ability to reproduce, how can they "breed"? Due to the way that Boba Dragons are infused with magic, in order to 'breed' two dragons must seek out the Ancient One and request a clutch of eggs, which are called Pearls. The Ancient One will then take up to four boba pieces from the two parents' tails and combine them together with his magic, forming pearls.
Parents must keep their offspring within the Nesting Grounds until their boba begins to grow in, marking them as young adults. Bobalings are generally kept in their nests and under strict watch until then.
If taken outside of the grounds, pearls will die, and bobalings will either die or grow up stunted with severely weakened magic and deformed limbs in a manner similar to Metabolic Bone Disease in reptiles.
It's not uncommon for different dragons to pair up momentarily to request pearls, even if they're already partners with another dragon. In such cases, all of the dragons from either pairs will work together and treat the pearls like their own, and usually will part ways and go back to their normal lives again once the bobaling grows up.
Most dragons are created by the Ancient One himself, and so have no true parents. These Boba Dragons are known as being part of The Infinite, referring to the fact that the Ancient One possesses the ability to create new pearls with unique genes on his own at will, resulting in The Infinite being entirely unrelated to each other.
Due to this specific process, Boba Dragons are incapable of hybridization.


Growth
Boba Dragons develop very quickly! A pearl will take five to six weeks to hatch, and the Bobaling starts off as a tiny, hand-sized bundle of fur that lacks any discernible traits besides its tongue and number of eyes (and multiple heads, if it possesses that trait). Traits will begin to grow in at around a month old, and will be mostly visible at three months - Bobalings will begin to practice using their magic around this age as well.
Mutations grow in when the first boba forms in its tail at around five months, marking the dragon as a young adult. By this point in time, dragons will have grown to about 3/4 of their full size. Once a dragon reaches eight months old, it will have reached its full size and all its traits are fully developed.
At eight months, a dragon is considered fully grown - once reaching this point, they actually no longer age!


Society and Class Systems
While this isn't the case worldwide, there is one particular continent where a very prominent rich vs. poor society exists. This section will be edited a little when an official map is released.
In this place, the wealthier families live within a dense forest, whereas the poor live on the outskirts, a large swathe of scrubby plains between the edge of the forest and the biggest desert in Icarusian. Higher-up 'Tree-lickers', as they're called by the lower class, are often rather snobby, holding their heads above anyone they deem below them, and often with an ego that results in them thinking everyone falls into that category. Some of the rich families in this area are also quite manipulative, often taking advantage of any dragon they can catch wandering the open plains.
Plains dragons, or as the wealthier families call them, 'Scrub-landers', aren't really any better. They are often self-centered and focused only on their own survival, as food is scarce in the area, and it's not uncommon to see an aggressive dragon around the desert edges. Dragons in these areas are generally skinny and unkempt, often covered in new bruises almost daily as different groups fight for the best hunting territory and over food. Many are also seen with food poisoning, often desperate enough to attempt to eat anything possible.
In the case of respect, a dragon is mainly respected by its power; the stronger a dragon is, either magically or physically or both, the more respect it gains. In most cases, this is judged by a dragon's lantern type and amount of lanterns due to the way their lanterns act as magic amplifiers. If a dragon's lantern is smashed, then it is considered weak and disgraced - This view is mostly abandoned in a few areas of Icarusian however, in particular the Elder Woods Settlement dragons are known for their disregard of such things.
Boba Dragons do have a sort of makeshift hierarchy in each settlement - roles! Typically, it consists of the following:
Casual - The majority of dragons tend to be 'casuals', as this simply means they do their own thing more than work on any specific part of their community. This includes hunting for themselves or their friends and family.
Sentry - Sentry dragons are dedicated to staying in one spot for hours or even days. They are constantly monitoring the area for threats, prey and unusual events.
Defender - Dragons who take up total guard positions are called defenders. These dragons mostly abandon the curious nature of the species while on duty, and will viciously defend their chosen settlements.
Hunter / Gardener - General dragons who hunt and grow food for their entire community, or to trade with dragons from other places. Such dragons are usually held in high regards.
Shopkeeper - As the name suggests, these dragons regularly trade hunters and gardeners for stock to take elsewhere to sell.
Craftmaster - Considered to be quite rare, craftmaster dragons are essentially advanced blacksmiths, able to make or fix broken lanterns and other intricate magical objects. Most settlements aim to have at least one present, as they play a deeply important role thanks to their potent magic.
Broodguard - These are dragons who have taken up residence in the Nesting Grounds in order to patrol the area, ensuring pearls are not stolen and that bobalings are taken care of and kept within the borders until old enough to leave. In settlements besides the Elder Forest town, Broodguards are basically babysitters, watching over their community's younger dragons.
Guardian - There is always at least one, usually two or three guardians in a settlement. The guardian is most often the founder of the settlement, but in general is basically the one in charge. They are the dragon issues are brought up to, and are expected to keep the group running as best as possible.
Chef - Another self-explanatory position, chefs are dragons who like to prepare food and share it with their settlements.


-Note: Please always ask the creator of the group before adding a dragon to them!

Kai'Gata's Cult
Kai'Gata's cult is known and feared by the majority of Boba Dragons. Based around the belief that cannibalism will save the universe from being destroyed, this group of dragons is avoided by most out of fear of either being converted or placed onto a target list. Many of its members are also known to be mentally unstable due to the effects of cannibalism, while there are also some former members that were cut, either for breaking rules or simply because there were too many members.
(Group created by Clam)



Porcelain's Movement
Porcelain started off a type of cult based around believing that he is a god. Unfortunately, many dragons have joined over time. There's not really much to the cult, apart from it being made up of mostly self-centered, often snobby dragons. Porcelain has been known to select random partners to have pearls with, and constantly kills any that lack light magic. The general belief is that light and shadow magic is above everything else, but only if the owner of said magic obeys Porcelain, otherwise they become viewed as tainted.
(Group created by Wulfenite/Obsinbrightclaw)

Dawn Cry
Dawn Cry is a settlement created by Techno, and run by Zakuron. Techno purposefully hunted down those in need and promised them everything, if they promise to pay back the favour when the time comes, trapping them forever in servitude. When Dawn Cry began to grow, Techno handed off the job to The Sunset Hydra, however still retained his leadership status behind the scenes. Eventually however, Techno transforms the group from serving him, to serving who he believes is a god walking among them.
(Group created by Skarath)