Riardi Health Conditions

As a whole, riardi are a healthy people in Intirri. They have several health conditions which show up in their populations.

Health Condition: Albinism

Albinism is completely unrelated to dilution, double dilution, ultra-bright, and other genetic conditions and mutations. It is a health condition which can cause weak, brittle claws, white fur which can become translucent over time and be prone to breakage, and pale pink or pale red eyes. They may or may not have vision problems and are prone to sunburn. The player and game host may discuss how this will affect the player’s character in game at character creation.

Health Condition: Leucism

Leucistic riardi appear to be a very pale pastel hue, with light blue eyes. This is the result of their ultra-bright mutation being incomplete and therefore defective. They have very light markings which may or may not be white or another pastel color. This causes no real health side effects. Other pastel-colored riardi with blue eyes- with or without a functional ultra-bright mutation- are not leucistic.

Health Condition: Eclipsed

Eclipsed riardi inherit solar, lunar, polar, ultra-bright mutations, and melanism. If the polar mutation is absent, Flux may substitute its role- with or without solar, lunar, or ultra-bright genes. Their melanism activates the solar mutation on their carrot-colored fur, while the ultra-bright mutation triggers the lunar color, replacing their dove-grey fur. This results in riardi that simultaneously display both solar and lunar traits, undergoing significant visual changes throughout their lifespan. Any fur patterns inherited from their parents remain hidden unless the riardi also inherits Flux or spontaneously manifests it.

The polar mutation ensures this transformation, and the flux mutation “shakes up” and energizes the harmonizing effect that the polar mutation has between lunar and solar by creating color changes. Solar riardi seem to have an aura of ever-burning radiance and warmth. Lunar riardi have a tranquil, reflective, and mystical presence, while eclipsed riardi are symbolic of cycles, impermanence, and change.

Unsurprisingly, eclipsed riardi exhibit a blend of solar and lunar traits, appearing in two distinct forms:

Lunar Eclipse Riardi

Lunar eclipse riardi resemble solar riardi but with a lunar-colored base. Their hands, paws, face, tail, and/or ears are black due to solar mutation patterning, with frost appearing only on their tails. As they age, a glossy orange frost develops, creating a luminous effect. This frost deepens to vermilion in their prime and blackens in old age. Uniquely, their black markings shift to vermilion in adulthood, lighten to orange in mid-life, and turn white in old age. Elderly lunar eclipse riardi have a lunar-silver coat with white extremities and black frost.

Solar Eclipse Riardi

Solar eclipse riardi have glossy orange fur with lunar-colored frost. Their hands, paws, face, tail, and/or ears remain orange, with frost appearing only on their tails. Upon adulthood, their body fur darkens to vermilion, while extremities remain orange. In mid-life, their vermilion fur gradually darkens to black, and their orange extremities shift to vermilion. This transition creates a lunar-frosted vermilion phase, followed by a lunar-frosted black phase with vermilion extremities. In old age, the black fur remains, while the lunar frost loses pigmentation and turns translucent. Elderly solar eclipse riardi are black-furred with translucent frost.

All eclipsed riardi are sterile. They may produce offspring through magic, but these descendants often resemble their grandparents rather than their parents. Additionally, they have adverse magic sensitivity, suffering from fatigue and illness in high-magic environments.

In the Onsaelyt Dice System, these riardi take a -1 penalty on RES rolls. While this sensitivity can be a drawback, it may also serve as an unintended magic detection ability.

Health Condition: Hairless

This health condition prevents fur from growing on either the riardi’s whole body, or as an overall reduction to bearing colored “peach fuzz” just thick enough to cover the skin. This means that in colder areas, the affected riardi must bundle up and has less of their natural body temperature regulation to rely on. Their skin is still patterned and colorful, but they are more prone to sunburn and may require breathable fabrics, oils, and herbal salves to assist them through any discomfort they may have. The riardi may or may not have whiskers. Their scalps still grow hair, but it stops at jaw-length and is never long. Several riardi shave it off.

Hairless riardi benefit by warm, humid, and controlled environments where their lack of fur is less of a disadvantage. The humidity helps their skin from drying out, abundant shade reduces sunburn risks, and ample water sources help their thermoregulation. In arid deserts and savannahs, they overheat less, and they will require natural oils and/or protective coverings to help with moisture retention and prevent sunburn. In urban and domesticated settings, they can make use of clothing, shade, and skin-care treatments.

Hairless riardi struggle much more in cold weather and high-altitude regions. Without clothing, fire, heated shelter and any magical assistance which could simulate these things, they are at a severe disadvantage. They will need to consume more food in order to maintain their body heat, and in some instances may still risk frostbite or hypothermia. In coastal and aquatic regions, they can be potentially better swimmers, but might experience cold shock or higher risk of sunburns in deeper water.

Their skin is still highly-pigmented, so they have an adequate amount of UV protection when brightly or darkly-colored.

Health Condition: Lop-Eared

The riardi’s ears grow and rest ground-ward, rather than upright. They spend more time engaging in ear hygeine routines and protecting their hearing. Over time, they might struggle with hearing loss. The player and game host should discuss how this will affect the character in game. Lop ears is both a gene as well as a mutation, which makes it unpredictable in the riardi population.

Health Condition: Earless

The riardi's ears are mere holes, with nearly no cartilage (if any).

Health Condition: Loose Ankles

Ore riardi are used to an underground lifestyle, have more flexible ankles, and larger, hooked claws on their paws than other riardi do. Their leg-wear is reinforced to help train their ankles as the riardi goes about their work when not traveling upside-down on cave ceilings. Ore riardi are not likely to have the “Lucky Leap” and instead will be able to climb vertical and upside-down surfaces with ease in most circumstances. This health condition does not pass on to offspring who are of blended heritage. Ore riardi are uniquely adapted.