General
Small and very active, the gourd wyrms live inside gourds just like their name suggests. They have been considered one and the same as the pumpkin wyrms for a long time, but their coloration, smaller size, and love for gourds have proven they are an entirely different kind of wyrms. Not only this, but they do not get along at all with the pumpkin wyrms. The two wyrm kinds never reach an agreement on which is better, the pumpkin or the gourd, so they keep their distance from each other. Whenever the two come together, they will bicker for hours on the matter. Gourd patches are kept far away from the pumpkin ones for this exact reason. An admirable thing about the gourd wyrms is that they never destroy or damage pumpkins, no matter how much they dislike the other type of wyrms. The gourd wyrms are always busy with their patch, gathering seeds for the next season, taking apart dead or rotting gourds, or carving out new ones. The flesh is stored for food while the hollowed gourds are made into new homes for the growing hatchlings. They rarely leave their patch, as they are very preoccupied with the well-being of their gourds. On the rare occasions they need to leave, sentries are set near the gourds, to protect the homes, hatchlings, and eggs.
---
Every gourd patch has a few odd individuals. In the gourd wyrms' case, there are some that lack interest in gourds, which is a rather concerning matter to all the other gourd wyrms. Having no interest in caring for the gourd patch or in hollowing out and storing food leads to these individuals' exile. However, for these wyrms, life outside the gourd patch is better as they have a very different interest - and it is not in pumpkins. These odd wyrms enjoy living on fields that have eggplants. Although not as many in number, these wyrms come together and form their own smaller families where they act in a very similar way to the pumpkin and other gourd wyrms. The wyrms are always busy with their eggplants, gathering eggplant flesh for the next season, taking apart dead or rotting eggplants, or hollowing out new ones. The hollowed eggplants are made into new homes for the growing hatchlings, even if there is no certainty these hatchlings will have the same passion for eggplants as the adults do. Those who lack the odd interest return to the gourd patches, where they are taken into the family and raised along with the other gourd wyrm hatchlings.
Egg
You are certain this is a pumpkin wyrm egg, but the small tail poking out makes you reconsider.
Hatchling
These wyrm hatchlings show interest in magis only if gourd treats are offered. Otherwise, they have no interest in humans, focusing on playing with each other. They like to follow adult wyrms around, mimicking their behavior in the cutest way. Although small, they will eagerly help carry gourd seeds around, and they will use their sharp claws to shred tiny pieces of the gourd for storage. They try to carve as well but have little success. The hatchlings love to play hide and seek, so finding one inside the Keep's kitchens around All Hallow's Eve is not that uncommon. Even if they are most comfortable spending time at the gourd patch, the hatchlings sometimes go exploring, relying on their incredible sense of direction to lead them back home. They avoid pumpkin wyrm hatchlings and sometimes act envious if the pumpkin hatchlings receive more attention from magis than they do.
---
One can tell a gourd wyrm is different from the day it hatches. The hatchling will have different colored scales, and it will show absolutely no interest in gourds. Some wyrm adults try to instill the love for gourds into the hatchlings, but the little creatures remain obsessed with eggplants. The hatchlings will eventually be taken in by the adults that share their interests. They accommodate easily with the new family. The hatchlings like to follow adult wyrms around, mimicking their behavior in the cutest way. They love to play hide and seek, so finding one inside the Keep's kitchens around All Hallow's Eve is not that uncommon. Even if they are most comfortable spending time near others of their kind, the hatchlings sometimes go exploring, relying on their incredible sense of direction to lead them back home. They avoid other wyrm hatchlings and sometimes act envious if those hatchlings receive more attention from magis than they do.
Adult
Adult gourd wyrms act in a parent-like manner although they are unable to lay eggs. They care for the hatchlings just as much as they care for the gourds they take their name from. Busy around the gourd patch, the adults take turns doing different tasks. Some are busy hollowing out gourds so new homes can be made for the growing hatchlings. Others store the flesh for the coming cold months. Others oversee the hatchlings. The most important task is caring for the gourd seeds. Not only will these provide more food in the following years, but some of them are magical in nature. Some of these seeds are actually gourd wyrm eggs and the adults are very careful in storing them inside special gourds. These gourds are larger than most, and hollow inside. The eggs are placed inside and guarded permanently even if the wyrms have no natural predators. They allow no other creatures to approach their eggs and will become defensive if any magis come too close to them.
---
Adult wyrms act in a parent-like manner although they are unable to lay eggs. They care for the hatchlings just as much as they care for the eggplants. These wyrms act like all the others, hollowing out eggplants so new homes are ready for growing hatchlings, gathering food for the winter, and caring for the hatchlings. Interestingly, although they are different, these wyrms also collect gourd seeds. This is not for food, though. Some of these seeds are actually wyrm eggs and the adults are very careful in storing them inside special eggplants. These eggplants are larger than most and hollow inside. The eggs are placed inside and guarded permanently even if the wyrms have no natural predators. They allow no other creatures to approach their eggs and will become defensive if any magis come too close to them. The hatchlings that come out of these eggs rarely share the adult's interest in eggplants. Even so, the adults care for them immensely, nurturing them until the hatchlings are ready to move to the gourd patches.
Notes
Obtained from: Event, Halloween, Retired
Breeding: Yes
Renaming cost: 200 gold
Release date: October 27th 2022
Element: Neutral 
Breeds with the following:
Gourd Wyrm + Gourd Wyrm = Gourd Wyrm (Normal)
Has a randomly occurring shiny form.
Sprite art: Mysfytt | Description: Real