#urodelenians

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Urodelenians don’t have vocal cords the same way humans and the kin do.

Instead, their language is mostly told through body language and sounds like squeaks, clicks, and snapping sounds.

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So, urodelenians. If it's not spoilers, what do they look like? Are they monstrous or humanoid or both? What are they like? Do they live in big or small groups? What about how they interact with other species? And are they intelligent?

It’s not really in spoiler territory to reveal some stuff about them. >:3

Urodelenians are an amphibious species, specifically based around salamanders. Like real-life salamanders, there are three types of urodelenians: terrestrial, aquatic, and semi-aquatic. Though, all of them live within the Appala Swamps.

A shared trait amongst all urodelenians is their ability to regenerate limbs and even organs like the heart and brain as well as having glands in their skin that help to keep their skin moist. Their eyes are also well-adapted for moving around at night.

Terrestrial and semi-aquatic urodelenians are able to breathe through their skin, while aquatic urodelenians breathe using external gills.

They are an intelligent species, with each type having their own form of culture and the species having their own form of language. None of the urodelenians wear clothes.

Urodelenians don’t really interact too much with the outside world and species outside of their swampland home. Though, sometimes a member of the Kin of the Wilds will come across a terrestrial or semi-aquatic urodelenian, with these interactions involving more curious looks than malice. Despite that, not all interactions with urodelenians go that smoothly when interacting with another species due to certain urodelenian views and cultural aspects.

Terrestrial urodelenians

Terrestrial urodelenians tend to be more humanoid in appearance due to them living entirely on land. They live in the more forest based areas of the Appala Swamps, which consists of small areas on the outer regions of the swamplands. Though, they still keep to living around water such as the smaller rivers and streams as they still have to lay their eggs in water.

The main colorations of terrestrial urodelenians are the first variant of bluish-black with blue and white flecks and the second variant of black with light gray or white bands.

With the spotted variant, the females are slightly larger in size than the males. The spotted variant also has larger tail fins than the banded variant.

With the banded variant, the females are born with light gray bands while the males have light ones. The males also have more symmetrical band patterns while females have asymmetrical band patterns. These bands start off as white flecks that change into bands after they mature into adults.

Both terrestrial variants are stout in build.

Terrestrial urodelenians tend to live in big groups where many will settle around a single small river and will cohabitate with one another, forming a sort of community. They usually build small homes within dead trees and use mud to fortify and strengthen the foundation of it to keep it from breaking on them. Many of them will create decorations from leaves and other natural materials to add something to their homes. They will even create instruments and use them to make a form of music.

They are also nocturnal for the most part, preferring to stay in their shaded or underground shelters during the day and come out at night.

Aquatic urodelenians

Aquatic urodelenians are much more monstrous in appearance, or non-humanoid, being more snakelike. They live within the rivers of the Appala Swamps and stay within the water for their entire life.

They tend to stay below the water, rarely coming up to the surface and preferring to stay in the deeper parts of the swamps. They have a much darker coloration compared to the terrestrials and semi-aquatics. This helps them blend in the murkiness of the water and hide within the dark mud and silt at the bottom of the bogs and along the riversides.

Aquatic urodelenians are also blind with undeveloped eyes that lie under their skin and are sensitive to light. Females grow to be larger than the males. They breathe through external gills that form two branched tufts on the backs of their heads that are red in color.

This type of urodelenians are solitary, living separate from other aquatic urodelenians and almost never interacting with one another. They do not have a permanent residency and will instead wander the swamps as they view the entirety of it as being their home.

Though, sometimes when two do meet each other, they will end up biting off pieces of the other.

Semi-aquatic urodelenians

Semi-aquatic urodelenians are a mix of humanoid and monstrous, given their flexible lifestyle of going both on land and in the water.

Some of them live in small groups while others prefer to live solitary. Due to their semi-aquatic nature, this type of urodelenians will often travel around the swamplands, alternating between land and water as they please. They will often stay away from the deeper parts of the swamplands so as to not accidentally draw the attention of larger predators or the occasional aquatic urodelenian.

The females grow to be larger than the males. Their colors can range from black to blueish-black, dark gray, dark green, and sometimes dark brown. Two uneven rows of yellowish-orange spots run along their bodies, with the females having brighter-colored spots while the males have less bright spots.

They will often weave baskets from tall grass that they use to carry their belongings and other supplies such as food. They will also weave special baskets to transport and carry their eggs and young ones on their backs.

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Terrestrial and semi-aquatic urodelenians will sometimes keep small frogs as companions.

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The Appala Swamps is an expanse of wetlands, huge swamps, and collection of small rivers that are inhabited by an amphibious species known as the Urodelenians.