Riardi Color Codex

Riardi have a robust genetic structure which supports a huge color spectrum from which their bodies may display a variety of hues, tints, and shades. Genetics follow the following hierarchy- the legacy colors of black, grey, and white serve as the foundation upon which the Temperature and Primary loci behave.

I. The Parent Color: Black

Black fur is the genetic base upon which the Temperature Locus acts. It modifies eumelanin production. There are three Legacy blacks- Legacy Black, Legacy Warm Black, and Legacy Cool Black.

  • Warm Allele: Shifts black to warm browns.
  • Cool Allele: Shifts black to cool browns.
  • P Allele: Overrides these, shifting toward the primary triad of colors- Red, Yellow, and Blue.
  • Default: If no active temperature allele is inherited or expressed, the riardi's fur remains pure black.

II. Temperature & Primary (T/P) Loci

Each color possesses its own T-locus. Parents contribute multiple T-loci, each assigning W (Warm), P (Primary), or C (Cool).

  • W (Warm): Modifies expression toward the warm range (e.g., apricot, gold, honey).
  • C (Cool): Modifies expression toward the cool range (e.g., mist, slate, abyss).
  • P (Primary): Forces expression into Red, Yellow, or Blue.

Color Breakage & Bumping

If an offspring inherits P but neither parent is primary-colored, the color must 'break' to the nearest primary hue based on its existing warm/cool composition:

  • Orange: Breaks to Red or Yellow.
  • Purple: Breaks to Red or Blue.
  • Green: Breaks to Yellow or Blue.

Note: If a riardi offspring doesn't inherit the Vibrant mutation required for neon hues, the color 'bumps' to the nearest comparable natural color.

If an offspring fails to inherit the Vibrant mutation required for specific neon hues, the color will "bump" to the nearest comparable natural color.

III. Inheritance Rules

Inheritance is uniform and not gender-linked. When P is present in the gene pool:

  • 33.3% chance to match Parent A’s primary.
  • 33.3% chance to match Parent B’s primary.
  • 16.7% chance for primary color preservation to occur. A primary color not present in either parent occurs.
  • 16.7% chance for color blending (a secondary color- a mix of two primaries).

IV. Curious Colors

These exist outside standard ranges as fixed, independent, non-reactive genes. They follow single-locus dominant inheritance and are "on-off" in behavior.

  • Mechanics: They override standard dilution. If an offspring fails to inherit the allele (e.g., mnt for mint, rby for ruby), the body defaults to standard dilution-based colors.
  • Interaction: Curious colors can "stack"- mutations like Vibrant, Flux, and Ultra-Bright modify these colors rather than overriding them, provided the prerequisite genetics are met.

Summary of Behavioral Updates

  • Historical Reference: As lineages mingle, the distinction between "unusual" colors and "common" colors will fade; all colors will eventually be accessible to all riardi lineages.

  • Blending: When opposing colors (e.g., Red/Green) blend, they typically yield brown, or grey if dilution genes are present. Which browns or greys in specific will be dependent on which temperature loci the riardi has.

  • Nuria Descent: If non-Nuria body types inherit Nuria colors without the vibrant gene, the vibrant data "drops" and the color reverts to its non-vibrant baseline (e.g., Citron → Banana).

    The next section will show all of the riardi species' color palettes.

    Riardi Color Palettes