Aurorafin

(NEEDS UPDATE)

Aurorafins are large, heat-dependent lizards common to open scrubland and sun-baked clearings at mid-latitude. A broad, dorsally-mounted frill runs from the neck to the base of the tail, constructed of translucent silica-laced scales stretched across thin bone struts. In the elongated dawn of Ephron's 30-hour day the frill fans wide and orients toward the rising sun, absorbing heat aggressively to prime the animal for the day's activity. During the midnight watch the frill serves a secondary purpose: iridescent pigment cells within its membrane flush amber and gold in bioluminescent pulses during territorial disputes and mating displays, making rival Aurorafins visible across significant distances in the dark. They are opportunistic omnivores, slow in the cold, explosively fast when warmed.

Aurorafin frills are prized in free colony craft traditions. Dried frill membranes are translucent enough to function as window covers or lantern diffusers, and their natural iridescence makes them decorative trade goods. Younger Arkafelari sometimes keep juvenile Aurorafins as semi-domesticated pest controllers, as the lizards readily hunt biting Ostracoda in and around shelters. Their meat is lean and palatable, though the frill must be removed cleanly before cooking, the silica deposits make it indigestible and the bones are dangerously fine.

A sleek, armored river predator whose reflective, metallic scales deflect heat. They navigate choked, ash-heavy waterways after fires by using sensory whiskers to detect vibrations rather than relying on sight.