Poker Lore

Glossary

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Taxonomy

Pokers are monotremes, a group of mammals known for laying eggs, among other features seen in the early mammals and their ancestors. Modern day monotremes in our world are the platypus and echidna, both of whom have beaked faces, poor eyesight, and a sprawled gait. It's believed that much of the mammals in the Late Cretaceous Epoch were monotremes. Monotremes would begin to dwindle with the advent of their more "complex" relatives, the marsupials and placentals.

Looking further into the phylogentic tree, there are two broad categories that can describe the monotremes of the Poker universe: the orinithorhyncoids and the anuramimids.The earliest known ancestor of all monotremes, Teinolophos trusleri, had teeth throughout all stages of its lifecycle. However, the ornithorhyncoids (platypuses and echidnas) lost their teeth as a result of their diet, only growing teeth for a short window of time in embryonic development.The anuramimids kept their teeth, as their diet of fruits and meats require them. As such, anuramimids also lack a beak, instead having a fleshy mouth with a cleft lip lined with sensitive whiskers. Their faces are squat and similar to amphibians, hence the name "anuramimids" (frog like).

For the sake of brevity (and because there's a lack of info yet on Proanuramimids), we will focus on the stars of the show: Toxocherians.

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Biology

Toxocherians, colloquially referred to as "pokers", are slender bodied creatures that live most of their lives in the trees. As such, their body is well adapted for climbing, sporting a prehensile tail and opposable thumbs on both the front and back feet. Pokers can stand upright but also take on a quadrupedal stance if need be, thanks to their slacked knees. The species also lacks pinnae, the membrane surrounding the ear, and rely on the specialized hairs around their ear to funnel sound into it.The most common, as well as the most successful, species of poker are the Pinstriped pokers (Toxocherius lineatus). Despite their name, pinstriped pokers are not limited to having stripes on their body. In fact, the species is extremely variable, thanks to selection pressure and near-speciation.

Dermal Mucus Patches

Pokers have a suite of unique physical characteristics, some of which are independently evolved. The most striking feature of the species are their colorful dermal mucus patches, areas of the skin that lack hair and are lined with epithelial cells that secrete a mucosal covering.This covering is thick and contain batrachotoxin, a toxin they derive from their diet. Batrachotoxin is a real toxin, found in animals like the poison dart frogs of South America and a few species of birds endemic to New Guinea, where pokers are mostly found. When batrachotoxin enters the bloodstream, it irreparably forces open the sodium channels of nerves, causing muscular paralysis and heart failure. Even in doses as small as one hundreth of a milligram, batrachotoxin is lethal, and there is no known antidote for it.

Pleicher's Organ

If pokers derive the toxin from their diet, then how are they not poisoned? Pokers have an entirely new organ, one of which may have been derived from tissue of the spleen. This organ, the Pleicher's Organ, is connected to the digestive system and lymphocirculatory systems. When a poker eats an insect containing batrachotoxin and digests it, the bacteria in the organ secrete molecules that wrap around the toxin, making it unable to bond with the poker's sodium channels. Then, the wrapped molecules enter the bloodstream and are stored in Pleicher's glands on the dermal mucus patches. When the poker feels threated, these glands open, releasing the packaged batrachotoxin which becomes unpackaged once in contact with the slightly basic dermal mucus.

Why would pokers put them at risk of being poisoned, let alone grow an entirely new organ? Because humans don't exist in the world of pokers, much of the predatory megafauna of the past such as megalania, thylacoleo, thylacines, and quinkana aren't extinct, still roaming the earth and terrorizing the poker species. What pokers lack in muscle, claws and teeth, they make up for in their poison, and their brightly colored bodies tell their predators to be wary of them.The poison is also a nifty insect repellant, especially during wet seasons where disease vectors run rampant.

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Gular Sacs

On the chest of pokers are large hollow organs called gular sacs. These sacs lie above the sternum of the ribcage and are connected to the stomach via a network of valves. All pokers, monties, mollies and moseys otherwise, have a gular sac, but how this sac appears and it's functions differ based on the biological sex of a poker.

In monties, the gular sac is much like the golus seen in frogs and howler monkeys. The gular sac inflates with gases produced by chemical digestion of plant matter. When inflated, the dermal patch on the gular sac changes color, indicating to onlooking mates (and competitors) the male's health and testosterone.Monties also sport a pair of long canines. These canines are weaponry, weapons of which allow them to puncture and pop the other male's gular sac during fights for mates. When a male's gular sac is popped, it runs the risk of exposing their gastrointestinal system to the bacteria of the outside world.

In mollies, the gular sac is split down the middle by a border lined with specialized mammary glands. In the previous segment, it was mentioned that the Pleicher's organ's bacteria are responsible for creating the valuable packaging molecules. This bacteria isn't something pokers are born with, and they can't acquire it through means of their diet in the wild.So, a mother poker becomes a donor, and will regurgitate some of her digesta, along with her own Pleicher's bacteria. The digesta is broken down by extretions of the glands, and transformed to a fluid similar to milk. The mother feeds her young by regurgitating the gular milk in her young's mouth.

Dorsal Sail

An extraordinary feature of pokers is their sail. Sails are ridges, extensions of the bony spine of vertebrates, and can be seen mostly in aquatic animals yet rarely in terrestrial ones. One example of a terrestrial species with a sail is the iconic, but extinct, dimetrodon. Little is understood what the purpose of the dimetrodon's sail was, but it's theorized it may have been a way for the synapsid to regulate it's body temperature, or may have even been a Fisherian runaway.The same assumptions could be made in pokers, however the sail is found in roughly the same size in both in males and females. Like all mammals, pokers are also endotherms, but like monotremes, might struggle with maintaining internal body temperature due to their metabolism. The sail could be a way for pokers to radiate excess heat away from the vitals, as their ecosystem tends to be very hot year round.

One fascinating observation about the sail of pokers are their internal structure, which is comprised of several grooves and a saline fluid. The presence of the fluid suggests the sail may serve a far more unexpected purpose: a built in liquid barometer.The rainforests of New Guinea are prone to cyclones, floods and other storms. For a creature who spends most of their life in trees, finding shelter quickly is paramount, and having an internal barometer could give pokers an edge in sensing storms before it's too late.

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What is "Intersex"?

Sex is biologically defined as the trait of a sexually reproducing organism that determines what gametes it will produce. Gametes are sex cells, the haploid cells produced by the gonads of an organism that contains one set of the organism's chromosomes. When these gametes meet, they undergo fertilization, transforming into a diploid cell that continues to split and form into a new, genetically unique member of the organism's species.Chromosomes are bundles of an organism's DNA, and each chromosome is responsible for specific traits. The chromosomes that contain DNA that codes for traits like hair color, immunity, or bone density are called autosomes. The chromosomes that contain DNA that code for the tissue and hormones that are responsible for producing gametes are sex chromosomes.

This concept may be familiar to those who have taken biology before! In humans, the sex chromosome pair XX encodes for females, while the sex chromosome pair XY encodes for males. Females produce ova from their ovaries and males produce spermatozoa from their testes.However, biology is never "perfect". Much of the life we see around us is a result of mutations, moments during the creation of haploid cells or the joining of them that are unusual. Such mutations can effect the chromosomes of a cell, and thus the resulting sex or the expression of it in the organism that forms from that cell.

Intersex individuals are those who are born with conditions that do not conform to a binary (male vs female) construct of sex. How one is intersex can show itself in a variety of ways and in different stages of life. For instance, some intersex individuals are born with ovotestis, where their gonads share both the attributes of ovaries and testes. Some intersex individuals are born with Klinefelter syndrome, having XXY as their chromosome pair rather than XX or XY. Some intersex individuals may be born with external genitalia that don't fit the description of a penis or a vagina.

Intersex people are not common, but certainly not rare, about as common as those with red hair. They're also not "hermaphrodites". Hermaphrodites are organisms who are able to produce multiple types of gametes, and may be able to fertilize themselves or any other member of their species. Intersex individuals do not have the anatomy to do such, and referring to them as hermaphrodites regardless is deemed offensive. Intersex people are also not automatically transgender, but some intersex people are trans!To learn more about the intersex community and how to support them, please visit the Intersex Society of North America's webpage! The intersex community is underrepresented and misunderstood, and I am thrilled to include a bit of it in my original species.

• More Info About Intersexuality

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Moseies

Pokers are sexually reproducing organisms, requiring the matrimony of two gametes from two different individuals to produce a new member of the species. Unlike humans whose sex is usually determined by two chromosomes, pokers have a whopping five sex chromosomes (ten in total, five pairs).Pokers too have X and Y chromosomes, but what pairings determine a monty verses a molly differ. The chromosomes pair in chains, with XX1, XX2, XX3, XX4, and XX5 chains producing a molly and XY1,XY2,XY3,XY4 and XY5 chains producing a monty. With so much chromosome pairs leaves quite some room for error, making monties not too rare among poker populations.Moseies are intersex, meaning they are born with traits, either genetic, physical or both, that don't fit the description of a monty or a molly. If you are not familiar with the term intersex, I would highly suggest clicking the question mark below for a rundown!

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Because of the multitudes of ways in which intersexuality can be expressed, moseies can range greatly in appearance. Some appear as a homogeny between both secondary sex characteristics of monties and mollies, some appear physically as a monty or molly while others are uniquely their own appearance.

Gender roles and expression in poker society varies from triclad to triclad, and will be discussed more in the triclad section!

Reproduction

After successfully mating, the female poker's ova, which has descended from the ovary and into the fallopian tube during estrus, is fertilized. The now fertilized egg, a zygote, continues it's descent down the fallopian tube, developing layers that will eventually form into the shell and albumen of the egg.Pokers are ovoviviparous, hatching their eggs in the womb. This adaptation is probably due to the risk and energy of having to oversee a clutch of eggs, lending some insight into how therian mammals may have evolved having a pouch or womb. Because the eggs never leave the womb, the shell of the egg is thin and membranous.

The embryo develops in the womb for 35 days, until eventually hatching from their shell and leaving the womb. The newborn, referred to as a puggle, is still somewhat underdeveloped, and is entirely reliant on their mother for food, warmth, and shelter. Throughout pregnancy and at the height of the third trimester, the mother poker will shed her mucus temporarily, making her body safe to touch for her nontoxic offspring.

For the next few years, the puggle will age, developing it's own toxins. Usually, once males of a triclad reach sexual maturity, they migrate away from their home triclad to seek mates. On his journey, he may form his own triclad, join the mate's triclad, and return back to his home triclad. Few pokers, especially monties, make it past the age of 25, but some do live long enough to be 40.

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Morphs

Pokers derive their toxins from the insects they eat, but what happens when there are little toxic insects, or none at all? Well, the poker then has less toxins in their body, or even no toxins at all. These levels of toxicity in pokers is called their morph, and its physical manifestation is seen in the hue of a poker's patches.

The toxins "produced" by a poker is linked to how much bacteria is in their Pleicher's organ. This bacteria is not only responsible for securing the toxins, but also in activating the genetic synthesis of proteins that create the fibers on the mucus patches. The bright color of a poker's patches aren't derived from a pigment, but rather, from wavelengths of light interacting with the lattices of fiber.Specific structures are made because of specific levels of bacteria, and thus specific wavelengths of light are emitted.

The diversity of pokers is also what divides them. Unfortunately, pokers that are more toxic run the risk of poisoning less toxic ones. As such, the less toxic pokers are often ousted from territories with good resources by their much more toxic neighbors. Sometimes these less toxic triclads are ousted for so long that they all become Ghost pokers, pokers without toxins at all.That isn't to say that all interactions between morphs is negative! In some cases, pokers of different morphs will mate, a behavior called intramorphy. Some pokers may engage in intramorphy despite it's risks because of a lack of available mates in their morph. However, others may just engage in intramorphy simply because they wish to, and will find creative ways to circumvent their inability to touch one another.

Triclads

You may have heard the term "triclad" thrown around a lot in this guide, but what are they? Triclads are a group of pokers who have some level of relation to one another. They're much like an extended family, but may be made up of multiple families in groups called chain triclads.Triclads have not only their own unique markings, patches and other traits, but they have their own culture as well. Due to the nature of morphs, triclad cultures can be extremely diverse, with no two triclads ever appearing totally alike.Few triclads exist for very long though. Some change once they form a chain triclad, others are destroyed by natural disaster and war by other triclads. The ones that have remained stable, colloquially referred to as dynasties, are shown below.

• Ksh Rubies
• Bush Verdants
• Pkwau Lapis
• Phu-tt-wi Lavenders
• Mounwi Ghosts

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Lifestyle

Pokers are omnivores, eating a wide array of nuts, fruits and meat. However, some triclads may eat more of one thing than others due to food insecurity or their environment. Pokers may also hunt large game for ceremonial purposes. As previously mentioned, Pokers have plenty of predators, with even some pokers preying on others.To combat this, not only are they armed with poison, but technology as well. Some triclads invest most of their resources towards weaponry or infrastructure or even for cosmetics. Few triclads trade, however some are ahead of the game...

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Work in Progress, please check the homepage for updates!

Trek wearily across the mighty Cyclops Mountains, let your shadow graze its teeth and become engulfed in dancing fire. Follow the fire, and you shall find Jayapura, or as the Ksh call it, Ksfrshmak.

The Ksh (pronounced like K-SHH) Rubies are a triclad of pokers residing on the shores of Jayapura, or what they refer to as, Kshfrshmak (KISH-FRISH-MACK). Their namesake comes from their method of communication, consisting of two slabs strapped to the hands rubbing against eachother. The rough slab (known as a sha) is made of the coarse skin of whale sharks, while the textured slab (known as the hsk) is usually made of carved wood or stone, depending on the class of it's owner. The union of both these slabs is the shahsk, and is given to a Ksh once they are 12, and have successfully undergone the coming-of-age ritual Fmkfrsh-shahsk.

Language

To the uninitiated, the language of the Ksh seems otherworldly. There is a method to this madness, and a very important one at that. The Ksh language started as purely fricatives, consisting of "ss", "vv", "th" and the like. Fricatives have a low frequency, and thus a language curated around it is discrete enough to be recognized by nearby Kshs but not by predators or threatening triclads.Once the Ksh triclad began to evolve and industrialize, the Old Ksh language evolved as well, now involving the use of a shahsk. The Ksh form words based on specific chains of noises made by rubbing or smacking the sha and hsk and at different intensities. What noises can be made by ones shahsk is dependent on the design and material of the hsk, which is dependent on the age and role of the Ksh.

Pauses between each rub and intervals of each rub is also used to convey a message. The following are a couple common terms or phrases in the Ksh language. Pauses indicated by pressing both sides of the shahsk together.

When written, the Ksh language is written in terms of the shape of the groove that creates the noise, much like morse code or brail. Pauses are denoted simply by moving to the next line, with each line representing a second. As such, their language does not have spaces.

Social Hierarchy

The Ksh have a stringent hierarchy, comprising of five "castes".

Dokmak

The Dokmak are the young of Ksh society, those who have had yet to earn their shahsk. By the time they are 6 years of age, they undergo rigorous schooling by the Zhfak scholars to become totally mute, training that requires them to stay utterly silent even when in fear or in pain. Once they have obtained the discipline of silence (Makshadhkmak--frshmakdok) they become eligible to undergo Fmkfrsh-shahsk and become a Dhkmak.In the meantime, Dokmak are designated to indoors throughout their youth. The Dokmak, as noisy as they may be, are cherished by Ksh society, as they are gifted to make noise. The laughter and cries of a Dokmak are the greatest gift to their parents, and the pitch of their sounds is what determines their personality and eventual place in the social hierarchy.Dokmaks have few domestic duties, and are adorned with two types of garb: Zhfmakdoktck and Tckdokmaktck. The Zhfmakdoktck are clothing that exist solely for aesthetic purposes, while Tckdokmaktck is spiritual garb. For Dokmaks, the Tckdokmaktck protects their soul, or their Dhkdokzhf.

Dhkmak

In order for a Dokmak to become a Dhkmak, they must fulfill the Fmkfrsh-shahsk ritual. In Fmkfrsh-shahsk, the Dokmak must test their will for the ritual by hunting a whale shark. The Dokmak, of course, doesn't fulfill this feat alone, but is the one held responsible for tracking the shark down and slaying it. Though whale sharks are not aggressive, they live deep underwater, and must be lured to the surface and successfully caught and killed before it retreats. Such hunts sometimes result in drowning.Once the shark is slain, it is prepared. The meat and fins are used to make jerkies and stews, and it's cartilaginous bones and intestines are used to make twine. The skin of the shark is also prepared, with a portion of the skin on the sharks head used to make the Dhkmak's first and only sha.

After the hunt and feast, the Dokmak drinks an elixir made of fruits and areca nut, which causes them to become drowsy and relaxed. A Kshmakah uses a specialized heated knife to carve the Dokmaks tongue, leaving behind only a portion of the tongue so that the Dokmak can still taste. This ritual is a sacrifice not towards a deity, but to Ksh society at large, as they are now rendered physically unable to speak to any other triclads but their own. This ritual is so terrifying that some Dokmaks flee, never to be seen by their triclad nor accepted by them again.The Dhkmak's hsk is usually made of teakwood, and is carved by a Zhfak. The Dhkmak is now allowed not only speaking privileges, but also new career opportunities. Monty Dhkmaks may become hunting boys, assisting Zhfak hunters. They can also be gold diggers, traveling great distances to pan and mine the precious gold the Ksh are recognized for. They will never wear the gold they collect, and there are heavy penalties if they are found keeping any for themselves.Mollie Dhkmaks are designated tasks such as tending to crops and fisheries and building. It is believed among the Ksh that those who are capable of producing offspring are students of Frshksh, a Ksh deity who painted color in the world and thus gave it life. As such, monties are forbidden to create in all castes, unless they seek a Ruttokak who can request Frshksh's blessing.

Zhfak

The Zhfak are the artisans of the Ksh. They start as Dhkmaks whose discipline to their craft becomes noticed by the Ruttokak. A Ruttokak appoints a Zhfak to train a chosen Dhkmak, who determines the eligibility of the Dhkmak by appointing the gods. A Dhkmak will undergo years of intense training, joining the Zhfak on a voyage away from the triclad and deep into the rainforests of New Guinea. Depending on the specialty of the Dhkmak, a specific ritual will be done to affirm their new identity as a Zhfak. They will change their name in accordance to the addition of new carvings to their hsk, which they themselves will carve.Zhfak have a multitude of disciplines and are the cornerstone of Ksh society. They are the explorers, scholars, doctors, and warriors of Ksh society, being lead by a league of Ruttokaks. Both monties and mollies can become Zhfak, however their duties are still divided by their deities.

Ruttokak

Making up only the upper echelons of Ksh society, the Ruttokak are estranged. They live in temples called Dokzhfmak-tckdok, where they have direct communication with deities. While Dhkmaks can ascend to Zhfaks, the Ruttokak role is permitted to only select individuals.One can become a Ruttokak at birth. The deaf are considered Ruttokaks, as their inability to hear the distracting sounds of the world make them able to pick up the subtle frequencies given off by deities. Ksh born with deformities of the hand also become Ruttokaks, as their mere existence as someone who lacks a vessel for their soul implies that divine intervention is what is keeping them alive. There are also features that imply what deity the Ruttokak is intended to serve, which will be divulged later.The Ruttokak are raised in the Dokzhfmak-tckdok, living their life specifically in accordance to scripture by Ruttokak's before them. The Ruttokaks are a protected class, and in terms of power even supercede the Kshmakah. They decide when crops should be planted, when wars occur, who lives and who dies...Ruttokaks are usually devoid of a gender. They do not bear children or have partners, but are allowed the "simple pleasures" of life. They have a specific diet, and may sleep for more or less time than the normal Ksh. They are also avid consumers of areca nut, with the nut enhancing their communication with the deities. As such, they lack teeth, which isn't a major concern for Ruttokaks when much of the food they eat is soft and easy to digest, like sweet cakes and tender offal meats. Ruttokaks are also usually adorned with gold, though they're usually not concerned about wearing flashy garments.

Kshmakah

There is usually two Kshmakahs in the Ksh triclad. Unlike the Ruttokak who are divinely chosen, the Kshmakah are chosen simply on the basis of a vote held by the Zhfak. As such, Kshmakahs are only concerned with the politics and mobility of the Ksh that doesn't require intervention with the Ruttokak. Kshmakahs are generally the first to speak to the leader of another triclad, with intense protection of course. They are also the ones to disperse the blessings given to the Ruttokak, as the Ruttokak give a sum of their offerings back to Dhkmaks and Zhfaks.The voting process for the Kshmakah occurs once the previous Kshmakahs die. Candidates are chosen by the Zhfak, usually based on which Zhfaks have brought the most to the economy. The candidates then go to each Dokzhfmak-tckdok, bringing their offerings to each deity of the temple. The final step in choosing the new Kshmakah is by pitting the candidates up against a kidnapped poker of another triclad, usually one who is much more poisonous than the candidate. If they win, the become a Kshmakah, as they prove to the Zhfak that they are capable of defeating the triclads greatest enemies.Kshmakahs are usually adorned head to toe in gold, not just to establish their own economic superiority, but their superiority to all other triclads as they are the only triclad that has access to gold mines. A Kshmakah may also wear the pelt of the poker they slayed in their electoral battle, another garrish way to establish dominance. The Kshmakah and their family are taken care of by

What sounds do pokers make?

The answer is a bit complicated (I mean, what part of this guide hasn't been complicated?).For one, monotremes are silent animals, with very few reports of vocalizations from platypuses or echidnas. This is likely due to their solitary nature, negating the need for communication. Most marsupials are this way too, with some exceptions though.Pokers independently evolved their vocal chords, however they're rough around the edges. They can't speak with the clarity you or I can, but they can certainly make some noise!

Pokers are capable of language, but due to their limitations and unique social biology, they're not going to function as similar as human language does.

Do humans exist in the poker universe?

Humans do NOT exist in the worlds of pokers. If they did, the species would never exist!Primates, however, do exist in their world. Due to competition by pokers, the Hominoidea (ape) clade has yet to branch out, mainly consisting of Ponginae, or orangutans. However, there's plenty of small primates like Catarrhini (New world monkeys) and Strepsirrhini (lemurs and galagos).

Can pokers live outside of Oceania?

Pokers have migrated out of Oceania, whether that's on accident or on purpose. The Ghost pokers, especially the Mounwi, have taken upon seafaring as a result of being driven out by more poisonous triclads. Small populations of Ghosts among Asia, Russia, and even Europe, are slowly growing, a phenomenon referred to as the Great Outstretching.

Can pokers have different toxins in their system?

Pokers have specifically adapted a symbiotic relationship with Pleicher's bacteria, which is only capable of creating molecules that bombard BTX. Pokers could theoretically produce toxins by other means, but not by the same process.Plenty of vertebrates have evolved a system by which they derive their own poison. The poker's poison is specifically based on Poison dart frogs and the Hooded Pitohui, who also eats poisonous beetles in New Guinea to obtain it's poison.Monotremes themselves produce venom, delivering it through spurs on their ankles. The platypus is able to deliver it's venom, but the echidna cannot. Pokers are in the same boat as echidnas, losing the poison that could be made by their spurs and making it a unisex trait. Platypuses produce the poison in their spurs via a gland, and secrete enzymes similar to the enzymes found in snake venom.Another example of a poisonous or venomous mammal is the Slow loris. The slow loris stores its venom on a gland in their arm. When the loris feels threatened, they mix this venom with their saliva and deliver a bite using their surprisingly sharp teeth.There's plenty of examples of terrestrial animals finding their own way to use poison...or venom.
The difference between a poison and a venom is that poisons are absorbed by the body, and venoms are delivered intravenously. A poker's toxin is only as effective as it is consumed, which is why pokers don't use their spurs to deliver batrachotoxin or their fangs. However, it's still deadly to come in contact with a poker, as their poison could be absorbed by your skin or cuts in your skin.

Do pokers wear clothes?

Pokers can wear clothes, but usually they don't. To understand this, we have to ask, why the hell do we humans wear clothes? That answer can range, but in purely biological parameters, humans wear clothes because we lack fur on our body. Clothes are a way to keep our body warm, shield our skin from parasites, or prevent our skin from getting damaged by UV rays.However, clothes are also an expression of culture. One's clothing, even in societies that don't have an obvious status system, tells others about themselves. Pokers don't quite need clothing because they can keep themselves warm with their fur and ward off parasites with their poison, but they do use clothing and accessories to express themselves.

What kind of teeth do pokers have?

Adult pokers have 38 teeth. They have four molars, two pre molars, two canines, and six incisors on the top. On the bottom, two of their incisors are fused, forming a grooming tooth. The grooming tooth functions as a built in comb for their fur.Papillae on the tongue and roof of mouth are used for scraping flesh off of bone, as their jaws are too weak to shear meat. Lip patches on the sides of their mouth secrete toxins which keeps flies away. Though their tongue is the same color as their morph, it does not secrete toxins or mucus.

How intelligent are pokers?

Pokers are best described as a mixture between "human" behavior and "animal" behavior. Pokers have strong practical skills, such as problem solving, abstract reasoning, and invention. They also have good memory, being able to remember seasons for fruit and the migration patterns of their prey. Pokers lack somewhat in social and emotional intelligence, as years of evolution driving them to be fearful of those outside of their family and morph makes them "sheltered".For instance, if you were to approach a poker wearing gloves that are the same color as a poker's morph, they're instantly more trusting of you, even without any other indication of trust. However, if you were to switch those gloves out to a color of a higher morph, the poker becomes immediately untrusting or aggressive even though they know you are the same person as you were before. This is referred to as the "El Toro phenomenon".Pokers aren't necessarily primitive, they just don't take the same evolutionary path that humans have.

Do pokers like music?

Pokers are not yet in the stage of evolution where they can whimsically frolic to Elton John, as such an evocation will surely indicate to their predators that there's a meal nearby.

What are some universal symbols or customs in the poker world?

Though pokers rarely mesh their cultures, they still build their culture off the same building blocks.One thing to keep of note when you meet a poker, no matter their background, is to never shake hands. Not only will this kill you, but it's also deemed a threat, just as bad as waving a gun in the air. The way to nonverbally greet any poker is by locking your arm around their arm like a chain, and tug your arm against theirs gently. The intensity of the tug is often an indicator of comradery, from a very slight tug for strangers or acquaintances, to an hard pull for siblings or best friends. The perk of the "poker chain" is that it can be done by more than two individuals.Hugs are also not allowed in poker culture. A way for pokers to show affection is by simply touching foreheads. They can also gesture affection by sliding both of their fingers down their lips and to their chin.Waving is also an unwelcomed and offensive gesture. Waving your hand is showing your morph, which can either be a taunt or a threat. In order to greet a stranger from a distance, you bob your head side to side. You shouldn't smile with your teeth closed while doing so, as a gritted smile is often a sign of nervousness or agitation among pokers.(Authors note: As someone who is on the autism spectrum and a furry as well, I know that the often "touchy" nature of cons and fursuiters can make the community unwelcoming to those who don't like physical contact. Having a sona whose species, by extension, should not be touched unless absolutely permitted to certainly gives me some peace of mind!)

Can a poker have a colorful morph and be nonpoisonous?

Yes! Pokers in Australia don't have access to poison, but because they descended from pokers in New Guinea, they still have dermal glands and the genetic component for colors on their patches. These "false morphs" have more muted colors, and only designated to males as they repurposed their morph genes for mate selection.

Can a poker have two morphs?

Harlequin or mixed morphs do exist, due to a genetic predisposition brought upon by skin conditions or conditions with their mucus glands. These morphs, though, are incredibly rare.

Do pokers have a feral form?

Like monkeys, they are simultaneously anthropomorphic and feral.

Do pokers play poker?

The only thing worse than cannibalizing your neighbor because they have yellow hands and you don't is gambling.

If you have any more questions regarding pokers, or their creation rules, please type them out in the FAQ channel in the PokerVilla server linked on the main page!

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