Rukaans exhibit many blessings from the gods; the most noticeable of which is the unique elements that make up their antlers and hooves.
These Elements vary from animal to animal; however, certain types are more common than others.
The common types tend to be stronger and more suited to longer-term use without damage, while the rarer elements can be more malleable or fragile, but less prone to aging and are normally owned by the wealthy. There is one mutation of the antlers and hooves that entirely lacks the elemental blessings and represents a resurgence of the Ancient genes carried by certain herds. Ancient animals display a natural bone antler and keratin structure. These animals are prized as a curiosity as well as for their resilience and strength that some of the elements lack.
These swatches are guidelines to show the general coloration allowed. They encompass the colors allowed for the base color, highlights and shading. Tone, Hue and Saturation used should be close to what is shown in the swatch.
Bronze, Copper, and Iron antlers and hooves must appear metallic, and should have a slight shine to them instead of appearing flat.
Note: Cosmetic item Tarnish can be used to remove shine from metallic antlers or allow expressions of these metals beyond the classic expressions shown in the swatches. See item for more details.
Common
Common
Common
Bronze, Copper and Iron are also able to show 'aging' effects due to oxidization and rust. Both Bronze and Copper may show a slight darkening and then turquoise-colored copper oxide beginning to spread, while Iron displays a rust effect which can be quite textured in appearance.
Oxidization or rust may only cover a maximum of 75% of the antlers and hooves combined.
Oxidation or rust can be limited to just the hooves or just the antlers, it does not have to be present on both. It can cover the entire hooves or entire antlers as long as it does not exceed 75% of the total.
Note: The total of hooves and antlers is considered for the 75% limit even if some are non-oxidizing due to split element or antlers are "invisible" due to being antlerless. For example, the hooves could be completely oxidized if the Rukaan is anterless, or if they have split element with ancient antlers.
Note: Cosmetic item Tarnish can be used to exceed 75% oxidation.
Swatches are guidelines to show the general coloration allowed. Tone, Hue and Saturation used should be close to the range shown in the swatch.
Copper
Copper with Oxidation
Bronze
Bronze with Oxidation
Silver and Gold are far more malleable and lustrous than the common elements. Their bright color makes them easy to see and hard to camouflage which historically made them less suited to activities that require stealth. They may also display a large amount of shine, also called "chrome", which is partly why they are coveted by the wealthy.
These swatches are guidelines to show the general coloration allowed. They encompass the colors allowed for the base color, highlights and shading. Tone, Hue and Saturation used should be close to what is shown in the swatch and should not resemble a different element.
Silver and Gold antlers and hooves must appear metallic, and should have a shine to them instead of appearing flat.
Silver and Gold antlers cannot have oxidization; these metals do not rust.
Note: Cosmetic item Tarnish can be used to:
Apply oxidation/tarnish on gold or silver element
Allow for Rose Gold or White Gold variations on gold element
Remove shine from metal element
Uncommon
Uncommon
The Ancient genetics are carried by certain herds and their descendants and create natural bone antlers and keratin hooves. As such, the antlers and hooves are able to display certain traits that the elementals are not able to. Normally these will be the same color as elk hooves and antlers, but Rukaans can have a little more flexibility as long as the coloring appears natural for a hoofstock species.
These swatches are guidelines to show the general coloration allowed. Tone, Hue and Saturation used should be close to what is shown in the swatch, though they can also be similair to the Rukaan's base color.
Ancient element can have a gradient.
Ancient element will not be shaded, and should appear flat.
They cannot mimic any of the metal colors above.
Pigmented areas of ancient hooves and antlers are taken from the color swatches. Non-pigmented areas caused by white markings (see below) may be white, cream or pale pink.
Ancient Element is based on natural antler and hoof appearance of elk, deer or horses.
Ancient element hooves and antlers can be affected by white markings in the same way as horse hooves and deer hooves and antlers. Dark pigment is removed where the white marking touches, leaving natural bone or pinkish colored keratin. See [White Markings] for a full list of markings which can have this effect. White markings cause hard edged light spots on the antlers and hooves which appear as a natural white colour, light cream, or a natural pink. Shapes and holes should be natural looking and mimic the appearance of the marking that causes them.
Different white markings can cause different changes:
Natural white can cover up to 20% of the antlers and up to all of the hooves where it touches them.
Piebald or White Splash Accents can cover up to all of the antlers and hooves or leave piebald like spots.
Blanket and Leopard Appaloosa can cover up to all of the antlers and hooves or leave leopard like holes.
Snowflake Appaloosa can cover up to 50% of the antlers and 50% of the hooves and leave snowflake like spots.
White markings affect on Ancient Element is based on natural antler and hoof appearance of piebald deer or horses with white markings or tobiano.
Ancient with Natural White Marking
Ancient with Piebald White Marking
Ancient with Natural White Marking
Ancient with Leopard White Marking
Ancient element hooves and antlers can be mildly affected by color modifiers. They cannot create colors that are more saturated than the coat, and should remain natural looking in the context of the Rukaan's design. See color modifier pages in the design guide for more details.
Ancient with Blue modifier
Ancient with Champagne modifier
Ancient with Wine modifier
Gemstone elements are the rarest of all. They are the most fragile of the elements but also the most beautiful.
Entire herds with this element are coveted due to the shimmering colours that resemble the Bifrost. It is these animals that are thought to have the strongest magical connection to the Rukaans that guarded the World Tree, Yggdrasill.
They may display in any natural gemstone, and may also exhibit the unique faceted sparkling appearance that no other element may carry. It is up to individual interpretation how detailed they wish it to be, but it must always be distinguishable as the gemstone variety chosen.
A gemstone Rukaan does not have to inherit the gemstone type of their parent, if their parent also had gemstone element. They are free to choose their gemstone type.
When writing out your Rukaan's information, please state what gemstone type they carry. For example:
Element: 'Smokey Quartz' Gemstone
Gemstone element may not be a metal (for example: bismuth)
Gemstone can be biogenic or naturally occurring (such as amber, pearl or ammolite)
Gemstone cannot be a man-made gemstone
Gemstone must be pure and not have inclusions of other materials (this can be accomplished with Tarnish cosmetic item)
Gemstone cannot overlap with specific-effect cosmetic items (petrified/opalized wood would overlap with Leaf of Yggdrasil, but can be accomplished with a Leaf of Yggdrasil added to a gemstone element)
Gemstone can be semi-transparent, translucent or opaque
Gemstone must be recognized by a gemological society as a precious or semiprecious gemstone (any society of your choice, some are more inclusive than others)
Here is a list of suggested gemological societies and their gemstone lists:
https://www.gemsociety.org/gemstone-encyclopedia/ (This list is the most inclusive)
If you are submitting a design with a gemstone not found in the pages above, you must include a link to the proof that it is considered a precious or semi-precious gemstone by a gemological society in the special notes field of design approval
Mythical
Opal
Pietersite
Diamond (Faceted)
Rose Quartz
It is perhaps no accident that this first discovered of the new elements calls to mind the delicate and unique antlers of the Winter Doe herself. As Midgard reestablished its connection with the heavenly realms, the first artifact to be found granted antlers and hooves which leave frost in their wake. Though beautiful in the ways they catch the light, these are prone to chip and must be protected from the harshest heat of summer. Rukaan can use their magic to keep their hooves and antlers frozen anywhere they venture, but they may find the effort comes at a cost.
Ice element is:
Transparent, translucent or opaque
White, grey or blue, or reflecting colors from the Rukaan or import background
Must be shaded (can be highlights only)
Antler and hoof lineart can be lighter than the antler and hoof color
Antler and hoof lineart may altered to have dangling icicles or dripping water
Frost may form on the ground around the hooves
Element is formatted “Ice” on the import
Top left shows dripping meltwater. Bottom left shows small icicles.
Ice with hooves trailing frost
Ice with antler icicles
Ice with hooves trailing frost
Transparent ice with antler icicles
Some lineages are blessed with a Split element, where the antlers and hooves are not the same element. These are descendants of starters blessed with a split element by Loki the Trickster, or of calves bred with the Trickster Spirit's Favor.
When writing out your split Rukaan's information, please state what elements they carry. Example:
Element: Split -- Gemstone (Diamond) Antlers and Metal (Iron) Hooves
Bronze Antlers and Iron Hooves
Gold Antlers and Gemstone Hooves
Gold Antlers and Ancient Hooves
Iron Antlers and Copper Hooves
For common and uncommon antler elements there is a bit of random chance involved and the offspring will inherit an element from the same rarity TIER as one of the parents, but not necessarily the same element. So a copper (common) x bronze (common) breeding could give you a common copper, bronze, or iron baby. An ancient (rare) x silver (uncommon) breeding could result in any rare or uncommon tier element.
Offspring who roll for the gemstone element may choose their gemstone.
In breedings with a split element Rukaan, the antler element and hoof element are rolled separately for inheritance. If the calf inherits the same element for the hoof and antler, they are no longer split as they have a single element. If the calf inherits different elements for hooves and antlers they are themselves split, and can pass this on to their own offspring. When using Bluetooth's Treasure in a split element breeding, the player may choose to pass on one parent's element combination or the other. For example, if breeding parent one (Split with gold antlers and silver hooves) to parent two (gemstone, not split) they may choose to have the calf either inherit parent one's gold antlers and silver hooves OR parent two's unsplit gemstone element.
Non-importable elements work a bit differently than other elements.
A Rukaan with these non-importable elements can be gained by applying an element-granting item to an un-designed geno with the item’s corresponding original element. For example, a Gemstone element geno can be changed to the Ice element by applying a Girdr’s Staff item. This permanently changes the Rukaan’s element, and they can pass it on in breedings like a normal element of the same rarity.
There are a few things that make it a little more challenging to get a Rukaan with these elements:
There will be no group starters or NPCs with these elements. If you want to breed one, you’ll have to breed it from a player-owned Rukaan.
These elements cannot be directly imported with import tokens, though an undesigned import token geno can be updated with the element items. Element items cannot be used on a geno redeemed with an Ancient Upgrade Token.
These elements cannot be gained through Trickster’s Token or Trickster Spirit’s Favor, and will not appear on random calves.
Element items can be applied to almost any undesigned geno:
They can be applied to genos from in-game breedings
They can be applied to donated adoption center genos
They can be applied to generated adoption center genos
They can be applied to random calf genos
They can be applied to import token genos UNLESS an Ancient Upgrade Token was used
They cannot be applied to genos with split element
Non-importable elements can pass normally in breedings according to their rarity, can be guaranteed with Bluetooth’s Treasure, and can be passed with Appeal to the Ancestors.
Unlike normal elements, some of these elements can allow minor changes to the antler and hoof lineart in ways which will be described in the element decription.
Element-granting items are single use and are always account bound.
Ice (Mythic rarity) is gained by applying Girdr’s Staff to a geno with Gemstone element.
Girdr’s Staff is gained from defeating the Frost Giant battle boss.
More to come!
There are some resources available to those who are less comfortable creating metal/gemstone effects on their own. Please note that with any resource used, the resource's creator MUST be credited in the design as contributing to the design.
ArgentAconit's Shine Layers - Please credit in the design "Antler/Hoof Shine by ArgentAconit"
Other useful resources:
Official Antler Layers Separated (official resource, credit not needed)