Chapter II - Skin Types
Default SkinTypical leupak skin is smoothly scaled, tough and extremely elastic. Resistant to blunt forces, piercing weapons are usually required to deal any significant physical damage.
Amphibian SkinAmphibian skinned leupaks are covered in slick, damp flesh, some of which may be riddled with bumps, warts or pores which seep toxins. Regardless, they dry out and become brittle and easily torn if not wet periodically.
Baggy SkinThese leupaks have skin that hangs from their frames in folds. It is still elastic, simply ill-fitted.
Bubble SkinBubble skinned leupaks differ in appearance--some may seem to be comprised of hundreds or millions of tiny soapbubbles, while others seem to be a singular bubble, inexplicably shaped into a reptilian beast, and still others may be a combination of the two.
Despite their delicate look, their skins are actually quite resilient, though sharp weapons will make short work of one. They are extremely light for leupaks, and may float on a steady breeze or across water effortlessly--though the hapless creatures find it impossible to submerge without something to weigh them down.
On the other hand, it is impossible for a fall from any height to injure them, as they simply slowly drift down to earth.
Bubble skins may be transparent, opaque, or metallic.
Candied SkinCandied leupaks are, predictably, comprised of various sweets. They may be piecemeal--living cookies, gingerbread houses and candy bars, among other sorts-- or made of a solid piece of one particular sort of confection. One of the more colorful and unusual sorts, these beasts are impossible to classify beyond this distinction, as they are as different and varied as the types of candy that exist. It should be noted, however, that candied-skins are not necessarily benevolent; some use their appeal to lure away victims, while others are actually chock full of all sorts of dangerous toxins!
Depending upon the composition of a given candied-skin leupak, they may be resistant or subceptible to any manner of perils. Many of them, however, are able to break bits of themselves off painlessly; in this case, they will usually regenerate later.
Canvas SkinUnaltered, these leupaks seem plain and white. However, they can change their skin and scale pigment at will with extreme detail--anything they remember, or any design they like, can be placed upon themselves, from simple color and pattern shifts, to ornate works of art.
Chitin SkinThese leupaks are covered in chitinous shell, segmented as necessary for their limbs. While not as sturdy as leupaks made of denser, inorganic materials, they still enjoy more relative safety than run-of-the-mill leupaks.
Clockwork SkinClockwork leupaks appear to be more machine than flesh, their bodies comprised of whirring gears, swinging pendulums, and all sorts of intricate machinery. While the various metals do provide some sort of armor, they do indeed have flesh beneath.
Crystal SkinFormed from solid crystal, these leupaks have hard, brittle and transparent skins. Unusual for leupaks, they are easily broken apart by blunt objects, and tend to make lairs of the softest materials they can find for their own protection.
Dragon SkinDragon skinned leupaks forgo flexibility in favor of tough armored scales. While dragonskins may not actually resemble their namesakes at all, their large, thick scales are a notable charactertistic among other leupaks.
Gelatinous SkinLeupaks with gelatinous skins tend to leave glistening trails of ichor behind them. Their flesh actually consists of dense, semi-liquid goo, and can have objects pushed easily through it without damage. While particularly acidic liquids may dissolve (and thus kill) them, they can soak up most other liquids by touch (though this process can contanimate or poison them).
Gelatinous leupak skins may be opaque, transparent, or somewhere in between.
Golem SkinGolem-skinned leupaks are solid creatures with rocky hides, peppered with soil, grass, flowers, and sometimes even small shrubs and saplings. Some of the larger ones are easily mistaken for small hills (or small mountains!), and it is not uncommon to find small animals making their homes on or in them.
While difficult to harm or even upset, poor or toxic conditions can cause one to become sick, its foliage wilting and dying off.
Hive SkinThese leupaks seem more or less normal at first glance, despite having what appear to be pockmarked scales and an eerie buzzing noise surrounding them at all times. They are, however, full of hundreds of thousands of insects--though type may vary--and the tiny creatures burrow and fly in and out of their honeycombed skins at all times, perfectly happy with their sentient reptilian nests.
While these leupaks can be attacked normally, doing so will incur the wrath of the insects they keep as well as their own.
Interestingly, hiveskins which contain bees often drool perfectly normal honey.
Human SkinWhile human-skinned leupaks are much thinner-skinned than their common counterparts, their soft flesh serves a different purpose than defending them in battle; they are able to assume a (relatively) human shape.
While harder to disguise aspects of their beings remain as they are and they may retain their tails, claws, fangs, distinctively shaped ears and any facet-related traits, their body shape and faces become decidedly humanoid, easing relations between sentient mortal races--or perhaps making them all the more haunting.
Jewelled SkinClose relatives of crystalline leupaks, jewelleds instead have all manner of gemstones embedded into and growing straight out of their hides, which can be either normal flesh and scale, or crystalline as well.
While there is no limit to the sort of jewel and gem to be found within them, any greedy creatures who manage to pry or pull them off will witness the shining stones crumbling to worthless dust in their hands.
Latex SkinLatex-skinned leupaks are shiny, slick-skinned variants of the original skin. Their scales have been all but smoothed away, leaving an unbroken surface. They are well-known for their high flexibility and are incredibly agile, capable of such feats as folding themselves clean in half and flattening out to slither comfortably into and beneath the smallest gaps. Blunt weapons are completely useless against them and pierce wounds only leave tiny airholes, but they can be slashed, burst, and even melted. Like textile-skins, they cannot heal their own wounds, but they can be sealed with small amounts of heat.
A latex-skin leupak in pieces will die unless the parts are gathered and melted back together, though they will require remolding into their original shape.
Leather SkinLeather-skinned leupaks have tougher skins than normal with no scales, though none of the normal leupak elasticity.
Liquid SkinClose relatives to gelatinous leupaks, liquids are soft to the touch and almost fluid even in solid form. They move with incredible grace and speed, sometimes converting partially into their liquid forms to move around, and can merge with and take up other liquids (though this exposes them to potential contamination).They can be dismembered, crushed, stretched, and even cut into pieces harmlessly, provided the vital organs are left intact. Liquid leupaks' injuries usually seal up immediately, flowing back together. Removed limbs revert into puddles of liquid which can be reclaimed, provided an attacker does not sop up the liquid first somehow.
They eventually dry up and die if left without a source of moisture for too long, though this process can take a while. Boiling or electrocuting a liquid skin will kill it as well.
Liquid skins may be opaque, transparent, or somewhere in between.
Magnet SkinAnother of the metal-skinned leupak family, the magnet skin looks relatively normal when bare--a dull, dark metal hue. Any metallic objects coming into contact with it become firmly affixed, removable only by the leupak itself unless it is killed.
Mercury SkinMercury skins appear to be made of slick, shining metal of any color. They are semi-liquid, and can slip through cracks and tight places with ease (though they may overflow). Every part of their bodies is toxic, though poison type and effect varies between leupaks. Like other semi-liquid leupaks, mercury skins can be manipulated, cut, crushed and divided without harm, provided the vital organs are left intact.
Mercury skins are extremely dense, and cannot swim (they instead sink to the bottom--they can drown, as well).
Necrotic SkinThese leupaks would, all things considered, look perfectly normal if not for their skins' tendency to slowly rot away over time, eventually exposing muscle, bone, and organs. Their vital organs all remain perfectly intact, but all else is prone to hanging out of any holes in the mess. Necrotic-skins never heal their wounds, though some may opt to replace lost limbs and bits of flesh by sewing on new, stolen parts. Other necrotics who are particular about their appearance may instead carefully peel away all flesh and muscle for a skeletal look.
These leupaks tend to carry a host of diseases naturally, even prior to any special abilities they may possess; their bites and claw attacks are particularly dangerous as a result.
Plastic SkinSimilar in appearance to latex skin leupaks, plastics are instead harder and more rigid than their flexible counterparts, moving instead by the use of ball-socketed joints. They have tough, solid skins, but can be cracked apart with enough force or pressure.
Porcelain SkinPorcelains are rarer leupaks, and almost always non-combatants when found. They are as delicate as they are beautiful, and avoid physical damage at all costs. A broken porcelain may be saved by gluing it back together, but the cracks will never heal, and the vain creatures usually go mad shortly thereafter, obsessed with their ruined appearance.
Pyroclastic SkinMade of cooling lava and black, charred rock, pyroclastic-skins are a danger when found far from volcanoes and other sources of heat, for their very touches ignite and consume anything succeptible to heat damage. Large enough water sources will cool them, rendering them unable to move until they are restored to a proper temperature, or simply drown.
Textile SkinTextile skin leupaks seem to be plush toys come to life, complete with stitches and a layer of cotton stuffing between skin and muscle. Some resemble expertly-crafted works of art, while others consist of garish squares of colorful fabric and scraps or old, worn materials, seeming more akin to rag dolls, and long-forgotten toys. When injured, the poor creatures will not heal over time--they must stitch any wounds back up and replace any lost stuffing.
Titanium SkinTitanium skin leupaks superficially resemble mercury skins at first glance. However, while mercuries are totally scaleless, swift creatures, titaniums possess segmented, rectangular bands of scales spanning the length of their bodies.
Their movements are slow and heavy, their steps ringing out with an eerie metallic clang. While they are virtually indestructible (their eyes and facets are the only way to injure the beasts at all, unless one pries away scales), the weight of their thick metal scales prevents them from ever acting swiftly, and the sheer amount of noise they make when moving alerts anyone in the area to their approach.
Titanium skins cannot swim, as even if they weren't so heavy, they cannot move their limbs quickly enough to paddle. The creatures avoid water above all costs, as drowning is one of the few surefire ways to kill one.
Removable SkinThis leupak's skin is removable and wholly optional; the leupak can survive painlessly and indefinitely without it, and regenerate it completely if destroyed or lost.
The muscle beneath has a thin, clear membrane which protects the leupak's internal workings.
Snowglobe SkinThe leupak's skin consists of two separate layers--a clear outer membrane over an opaque, colored main skin. The space between the two skins is filled with a clear, water-like liquid, along with such decorations as glitter, plastic confetti, floating toys, tiny fish, and so on. Despite the bizarre decorations, both layers of skin heal normally--though if the liquid between them is lost, it will need to be replaced manually.
The outer skin may be soft, firm, or glasslike.
Spiny SkinThese leupaks' skins are covered in sharp, hard spines, the number of which depending upon the size and placement of them. While the spines are usually the same color as the rest of the body, some spines-- typically those containing toxins--are found in brightly contrasting tones.
Sponge SkinSponge skinned leupaks are not particularly resillient or strong by any means, and tend to shy away from battle as a result. However, their composition allows them to soak up liquids to quickly and temporarily increase their size, which they make use of to appear more threatening--hopefully buying them time to make an escape.
They are firm, but give easily and painlessly under pressure.
Stained Glass SkinOften depicting intricate scenes, stained glass leupaks are less delicate than their crystal cousins due to the metal wires that frame their colorful scales.
Studded SkinStudded skin leupaks have thick, leathery scaleless hides, studded with metal beads or spikes; though their underbellies are unstudded, they are still tougher than usual. Most weapons bounce uselessly off of them. Polearms, arrows and other piercing weapons are best employed against them, provided the blades are of the proper size to slip between the gaps in the studding.
Web SkinSimilar in function to hive skin, web-skinned leupaks are more delicate than their insect-infested counterparts. Comprised of thickly-woven, sticky spiderweb, they are lightweight, soft, and easily torn apart--their primary defense being the spiders that live within them, some of which may be fantastical species that were brought into being along with the leupak itself. Far from resillient, webskins avoid combat whenever possible.
Wisp SkinWisp leupaks are composed of an opaque material that lets off a thick smoke of any hue.
Wooden SkinThese leupaks have tough, barklike skins with small twigs and leaves that grow from them. They move more slowly than most leupak types, but are difficult to injure. Designs or wounds carved into their flesh never disappear.
Wooden-skinned leupaks can stop moving for long periods of time, swaying in the breeze and blending in with forests.
