Bark Riders are two-meter tall bipedal creatures native to Delantare, used as mounts by the Delantrim. After hatching, they are similar in appearance to salamanders, but are not amphibious and do not breath water at any stage of their life. After they've hatched, the young wrap their limbs around the trunk of the nearest tree, flattening their bodies against it, and grow with the host. The bark of the tree grows over the skin, thus giving them their name. Bark Riders live off of the trees, absorbing nutrients from their host in a symbiotic relationship. They are docile creatures, and, though they don't look it, they are the fastest land-dwelling creature on Delantare, able to reach 80 mph in about ten seconds and maintain that speed for several hours. They are the Delantrim's primary mode of transportation when traveling through the forests outside the City, and are used as mounts in battle.

Thoughts?

When do they unattach themselves from their tree, and when they do, how do they get nutrients? You said they are bipedal, does that mean they have hands, or do they only have one pair of limbs?

Hoooboy! Those fellas are gonna have to eat alot in order to maintain that kind of energy They sound like they would appear pretty cool though. I'm guessing they have a color equal to that of the tree, since the tree bark becomes their skin. I would guess the hard bark like skin would be a natural defense as well. I like that. They sound like interesting creatures to me. Does the bark grow on their undersides as well, or is the skin weaker there?

Interesting. So how long can they be unattached from trees? And how are they ridden? I'm having a tough time imagining how one might ride an upright creature with the body of a salamander. But really, this is a neat idea! Certainly these would make great battle mounts, with their tough skin.

Oooh, very creative idea. I like their becoming 'one' with the tree. When a wild one is caught, are they easy to tame?

This is intriguing to no end. Very imaginative.

But I must add my curiosity as to how they are separated from the trees, and how they live afterwards if they have a symbiotic relationship with them.

Oh, that sparked another question. Do they ever go BACK to the tree? If they do, is it any tree? Are they any different depending on the kind of tree they start out on?

Sorry for the delay, I was shooting a movie this weekend, and then got sick...

Thank you for your questions! I had to think for a bit on how to answer some of them. Here goes...


They can't detach until they reach full maturity, which takes about twenty years. At that time, they have a reservoir of nutrients that can last them for nearly a month when detached from their host tree.
Once they're old enough, wild Bark Riders will only detach if their tree is threatened, or when they want to find a mate. The tamed Riders (see below) will detach whenever they're summoned by a Delantrim (a resident of Delantare).
Re: Bipedal, They have four limbs, but only the rear two legs are used for walking/running. The two forelimbs are mostly used for balance and gripping onto their host tree. They also have a long, thick tail for balance and steering when running. Their posture is like that of a raptor-type dinosaur.


Correct, their skin color matches that of the host tree. Their undersides are not covered by bark, which makes them vulnerable there when they're detached. In battle, the Delantrim make up for this by making special armor for their Bark Riders.


As I mentioned before, they can be detached for nearly a month, but they seldom do. Their backs lay almost completely horizontal, and the Delantrim make special saddles that allow for an easier ride.

I have to go now, but I'll return and answer the rest of the questions soon.

Just curious but does this mean they walk and run as humans do?

Thanks for answering the questions! I'm still confused as to how they are ridden.

From what I read--and these sound like very cool creatures by the way--I just pictured these almost dinosaur-looking lizards with saddles. Perhaps ones that fit on them like a backpack with the seat at the bottom, or else, the rider would lie flat on them. Delantare, maybe that's not it, it's just what came to my mind.

I like though. They're different than a lot of other fantasy creatures you hear about.

Do they have special cues from their riders? Do they swim at all, or jump?

okay at first I thought the name of the thread was a typo for Dark riders...
This sounds really cool, I'm a huge fan of reptilian mounts, although I've yet to find my own... what's their temperament? you said docile but are they fighters if they have to be or just pretty much okay with how ever life goes?

They sound very neat. When they are attached to the tree, are the camouflaged? I also had another thought. Since they are feeding off of the tree, does the tree ever die since these creatures are stealing all its nutrients?

I believe he said at some point that they do no harm to the tree, but that may just be me reading into it. I'd have to go back and check. What you said makes sense, Ivan.