Dandipuffs

Dandipuffs are medium sized, sentient creatures native to Shadowcrest Gardens.

Terminology
Species name: Dandipuff (DAN-dee-puff)

Plural: Dandipuffs

A group of dandipuffs is called a bloom. (ex. a bloom of dandipuffs approaches you.)

A young dandipuff is called a puffling.

A male dandipuff is called a buck, a female is called a doe.

Biology
With a long body and short legs, the adult dandipuff is ferret-like in its dimensions, which on average reach lengths of 3' feet long, and 1' high (with fur). Not including its tail, which is usually around the same length of the body.

Locomotion
The dandipuff moves as though it were as light as air, gracefully 'gliding' or 'floating' rather than falling, a motion comparable to a dropped feather descending to the ground. This mechanism allows the dandipuff to take considerably less fall damage than most, and in fact staying in high places they can easily glide off of is their main escape plan against potential threats. They can even tread over water and other precarious surfaces with some success, especially when aided by a breeze in the direction they're headed, although most dandipuffs still avoid deeper bodies of water. They do not like getting their fur wet, as it can weigh them down enough to severely hinder these abilities, and because of its structure takes a very long time to dry.

Dandipuffs have slender, aerodynaic bodies and avian-like hollow bones that are suspected to play a part in this ability. Their fur is structured in a way similar to downy feathers and seem to 'capture' air inside, for insulation as well as additional support of their 'lighter than air' bodies. Their tails are semi-prehensile which aids in their balance and their tiny, hard feet allow them to easily find footholds in most surfaces, like a goat.

Feet
The dandipuff's poportionately tiny feet superficially resemble paws, but upon closer inspection are very different. Each foot has two tiny toes that stay firmly together and are not at all opposable. They feel harder than a paw but softer than a hoof, more like cartilage than bone. Also unlike hooves, their fur covers the entire foot with no paw pads, similar to a rabbit's foot. It is suggested they developed this way because so little weight is put on their feet and they prefer being in trees than walking along rocky terrain- so little protection was needed.

Fur
Their volumnous fur makes up for a significant portion of their size, and is said to be the softest fur of almost any creature. The sheer softness of the fur can be overwhelming to someone not used to it. Its softness has been regarded as being highly therapeutic, and spending enough time petting a Dandipuff can send one into a hypnotic trance of relaxation. It is considered very bad luck to shave a dandipuff or to wear any products made from their fur.

With the aid of hatching baskets, a dandipuff's fur can come in nearly any color as well as a variety of textures, even hairless. However by far the most common, 'default' dandipuff has pure white, very long, thick and soft fur over the body and tail, with shorter, velvety fur over the face, ears and limbs.

Diet
Dandipuffs have no teeth, and they cannot easily eat solid food. They do not eat much, though they do have a sweet tooth and love any kind of syrup, sap, honey, juice or nectar. They also enjoy milk in small quantities and will occasionally eat solid food, most often overripe fruit. Licking up crumbs of a sweet pastries or cotton candy are often a favorite treat. They can't seem to taste salt and are largely uninterested in anything that isn't sweet or tart. It seems that a significant source of their nutrients comes from exposure to the sun, though it may sound like photosynthesis it is more comparible to how we metabolize vitamin D thanks to sun exposure- in the dandipuff's case it can do this far more efficently to make up for their limited diets.

Senses
A dandipuff's eyes are porportionately large for their head, and by default are always pale blue or green with round pupils. They have visible eye whites which are assumed to be used to communicate easier with their human companions. Their eyes are on either side of the head and therefore they cannot see directly in front of their faces. Dandipuffs can see in the same color spectrum as humans, and like us are quite enamored by vibrantly colored things such as flowers. Their large eyes enable them to see in the dark slightly better than we do.

Dandipuffs have a small, bulbous nose which is one of the few areas not covered in fur. They have a special olfactory sensitivity to flower pollen which collects in the highly sensitive bulbous tip of their nose, and while their sense of smell is roughly the same strength as a human's they can detect and differentiate plants far more efficently and from a much greater distance, as far as the plant's pollen will carry. If you return home from a walk in the meadow, don't be surprised if your dandipuff sniffs you carefully like a dog. They can get an idea of where you've been, because they can tell just from the pollen what sort of environment the plant that produced it grew in.

Their thin, tiny ears don't aid them much and unlike many other animals they lack the muscles that allow them to wiggle them in different directions- they just sort of flop around. Their hearing is average at best, comparable to humans but perhaps not as far-reaching.

Behavior
Dandipuffs have no predatory instincts and are almost always very docile and benevolent creatures. They have no difficulty existing peacably among all kinds of animals, so long as said animals do not intend to harm them, in which case the dandipuff's first defense is to run away or hide. A dandipuff will only act aggressively as a last option or because they are emotionally damaged in some way.

Intelligence & Communication
Dandipuffs seem largely uninterested in engaging in any kind of tool usage (whether due to physical or mental limitations is currently debated). They are still highly socially intelligent creatures, being very attuned to the feelings of others even outside of their own species, as well as capable of adapting to and understanding an impressive quanitity of verbal and non verbal queues.

Dandipuffs lack a detailed language of their own, but they do produce a variety of vocalizations to express themselves. They mainly communicate in a variety of whistles, trills, coos and mews. Their voices are high pitched, soft and soothing, reminiscent of the coos of a human baby. Like cats and dogs, the dandipuff's tone of voice matches the same tones of a human voice when conveying the same type of emotion. Unlike cats and dogs, this seems to be their default form of communication and not something learned through human interaction.

Habitat
Dandipuffs exist solely in Shadowcrest Gardens. They can survive outside of this area but eggs are only found and hatched on their native island. No one is sure why they seem unable to breed outside of this area.

Egg
All dandipuffs begin as a large, smooth white egg, roughly the size of an ostrich egg. The egg itself has a hard, thick shell covered in downy fuzz, which makes it soft and velvety to the touch.

Left untampered with, the white dandipuff egg will eventually hatch into the standard, pure white variety of dandipuff. However, it has become customary to use 'hatching baskets' to alter the appearance and gender of the egg and puffling inside of it. Even if the owner of the egg wishes to leave their dandipuff unaltered by any magical effects, often the eggs are still kept inside of hatching baskets for protection and easy mobility. (see hatching baskets)

Though the baby dandipuff is nearly ready to hatch once it is laid, how long it takes for the egg to hatch can vary wildly depending on the state of its environment and how much human contact it receives. As time goes on, the egg's hard shell begins to weaken, allowing the fully-formed puffling to hatch. On average, if given frequet human affection, the egg will hatch within a week after being laid.

Pufflings
Pufflings emerge form their eggs with their eyes fully open and a full coat of fur. They are usually around the size of a guinea pig. They look more or less like smaller versions of their adult counterparts, albeit lacking the characteristic 'bulb' at the end of the tail, instead their tails are narrow at the tip.

Pufflings, like ducklings and some other species, 'imprint' immediately after hatching. The first person they see is the one they regard as their parent, and thus will follow them around and love them unconditionally. They are very playful, very curious and all around rather kitten-like at this stage. Like the fuly grown dandipuffs, pufflings have very delicate bones which are even more delicate at this stage due to their size. Though they will never tread far from your sight, it is important for a new puffling owner to keep an eye on them.

An interesting side effect of imprinting is that the Puffling's body will start producing a scent that smells like something pleasantly nostalgic to its owner, often a sweet baked good or a flowery scent. How this comes about remains a mystery, although some speculate it's a sign of just how powerful a bond between a Dandipuff and its owner can be. However, any ingredients used on a dandipuff hatched from an egg will potentially override this naturally developing scent with one related to one or more of the ingredients used to alter it.

The scent gets noticeably stronger, although not overpoweringly so, as the puffling enters adolescence. Often this coincides with the emergence of the bulbous tip on the dandipuff's tail.

Reproduction
Unlike other animals, dandipuffs lack conventional reproductive organs in favor of the 'bulbs' at the end of their tails. When fully grown, these bulbs are roughly the size of an orange, though appear larger due to their thick layer of fur. During the Spring season, these bulbs open to reveal a large, flower-like structure with thin, brightly colored skin 'petals' that unfurl as the bulb opens.

For the males, the center of the flower contains the stamen, which are the male organs of flowers used to produce pollen. For females, the flower is simply a receptacle of pollen, and eventually where the egg will be developed and laid. Fertilization can happen in a multitude of ways, either indirectly (ex. the wind or an insect carries pollen from a male's flower and it lands on a female's), or through direct contact of each dandipuff's flowers. Any pollen from an actual plant will have no effect.

It takes roughly a month for the egg to be fully developed and laid. The dandipuff's offspring, regardless of the parent's appearances, will be completely white unless otherwise tampered with using a hatching basket.

Death
Few have ever witnessed a dandipuff's death, and their lifespans are suspected to rival or surpass the length of a human's. They can of course die from natural causes such as injury or illness, although this is rare due to the great care taken into preserving the species in the small enclosed area where they exist. When a dandipuff is ready to die of 'old age', it seems to prefer dying alone as the closest anyone has gotten to witnessing their natural death is just finding they've 'vanished' one day. Those who study dandipuffs covet being the first to witness this mysterious and rare sight.

Legend has it, when the human a dandipuff has bonded to dies, the dandipuff simply floats away into the sky and becomes a cloud. The cloud rains over Shadowcrest gardens and nourishes The Great Tree, a large and incredibly old tree that grows in Shadowcrest. This was meant to explain why so many Dandipuff eggs were always found near the tree. Of course, an alternate explanation for this could be that Dandipuffs have for some reason chosen to go there to lay their eggs, although none have been recorded doing so. The truth remains a mystery.

Relationship with Humans
Dandipuffs enjoy the company of others in their same species, but their primary companions are the humans they have imprinted on. They follow their humans around whenever possible and provide unconditional love and affection. A dandipuff is most commonly seen in a human abode.

The dandipuff's connection to its human owner is so strong that as it matures it will take on a smell that reminds its owner of some personal nostalgic memory. Dandipuffs rely almost completely on their relationship with humans to continue as a species, as after an egg is laid the mother does not care for her young, rather the egg will only hatch and survive if given sufficent human contact.

Humans have enjoyed the company of dandipuffs over the years, considering them companions rather than pets because of their remarkable intelligence and strong bonds. Though they have no practical uses as a beast of burden, the dandipuff's soft fur, cute appearance, pleasant odor and loving demeanor make it extremely theraputic and relaxing to have around. It is considered taboo to use a dandipuff for its fur, meat, or any other purpose that would otherwise harm or demean the creature.

Likely due to their cute and cuddly appearance, dandipuffs are especially popular with young girls or anyone who is young at heart, with whom they often develop the strongest bonds.

Hatching Baskets
Dandipuffs possess the unique feature of being all white with blue or green eyes by default, but with the use of specially designed, magical baskets called hatching baskets, one can influence the appearance of an egg and the dandipuff within it in a near infinite number of ways. It is a popular practice among humans to change the look of the unhatched dandipuff using a process that incoproates found objects added to the hatching basket, which influence the dandipuff in sometimes unexpected ways. For more on hatching baskets, please see this article.