🥖 (ID: honN)

Grouping: Mammalian, Elemental

Arthen are fast-moving, energetic creatures that become more hyperactive in the cold. Their antennae are extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, and they use this to sense prey in blizzard conditions. Kept cool enough, they are easily tamed if raised from a baby, though adults tend to be skittish and hyperactive. They respond well to simple training, and are highly food-motivated.

Arthen dig deep, cool burrows, and when found in areas without permafrost, aestivate during the warmer months in order to avoid the relative heat. Arthen that do not have sufficient space to dig become gloomy, but they do like to decorate their burrows with shiny rocks and other objects they come across. They only breed during the coldest parts of the year.

No two Arthen have quite the same shade of dark blaze down their spines, even within the same Chroma variant.

Artwork: Sora

This Arthren was first discovered as a juvenile, headbutting an egg in a Cithera nest. Upon being removed from the nest and relocated to a safe location, they headed towards the nearest accessible nest and resumed the behaviour. Attempts to relocate them away from nests proved fruitless. When moved to a location that rendered them unable to actually reach a nest, they moved as close as the terrain permitted. Interestingly, they showed no aversion to being handled and only displayed distress at being moved away from the eggs.

Baguette was taken to the research facility to avoid them getting eaten by parent Cithera. They were named as such due to their taste for their namesake food, and quickly figured out both climbing cabinets and opening bags. Luckily, they have not figured out how to open doors yet.

Baguette’s continued behaviour of headbutting eggs — from both Cithera and other oviparous species — puzzled researchers until it was noticed they consistently targeted the eggs closest to hatching. It is theorized Baguette knows which eggs are close to hatching due to sensing said eggs’ temperature via their whiskers. Further study of their behaviour regarding the eggs has shown they are trying to help the eggs hatch, although it is still not known why.