Adult Female
Name: Sniffles
Species: Tarax
Birthday: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Owner: Ithyllus
Element: Neutral
These little companions never grow very large. They are vivid green in color, with massive poofy tails that are pure white. Taraxes are extremely vain and clean themselves many times a day, usually by dipping themselves into raindrops. Once a tarax has reached maturity, it grows a mighty crest of yellow petals along the top of its head. These companions take every opportunity to show these petals off, and shake them in each other's faces in order to attract mates. Though this ritual is very comical, it is best not to laugh at it, as taraxes are rather sensitive. It is an unfortunate fact that these companions live short lives, rarely reaching older than ten years of age. They make up for their lack of time with great zeal, and their personalities are thought to be one of the strongest. They do not bond very well with their magi, however, and many attribute this to their short memories. Taraxes seem to forget things very easily, and move from flower to flower at the end of every day as if they cannot remember which one was originally their home. Odd things happen when people create teas or consume flowers that were once a tarax companion's abode. They find themselves with great energy, but upon calming down, find that they have forgotten a good deal of time.
Most people regard taraxes to be highly hilarious creatures. They are well liked, and can be found throughout the gardens and grounds that surround the castle. Despite being as small a flower, these companions have tremendous personalities and are very loud. Though they lack the teeth and muzzles of most dogs, they can emit shrill barks and act much like other canines. They are playful and loyal, and extremely protective of their territories. Though these companions can cause no harm, they will shriek and hop around the ankles of anyone who walks near their flowers. Some people try to avoid certain areas for this reason, but trying to evade taraxes is rather pointless. They can make their homes in any flowers, but they are quite partial to dandelions. Once winter comes, they would all succumb to the cold if it were not for the castle's greenhouses. As it is, their tiny eggs can survive the harshness of winter, and remain tucked away in the ground. Come summer, they hatch as soon as the earth thaws. Everyone knows when this occurs, as swarms of taraxes suddenly come from nowhere, chasing anything that moves and hiding behind new shoots of grass. Though they are very active during the day, a tarax will never come out at night. Instead, they bury themselves deep into flowers, trying to remain safe from predators.
Sprite art: DarrkestDrow/Jrap17 (adult) | Description: Damien