Dragons of Aquella

The Egg Mimic!

Also known as the Cuckoos Egg.

The parent of an Egg Mimic will deploy their egg in other creatures nests, dropping them off as mimics of that creature's nest. The eggs will take on the size and shape of the other eggs in the nest, trying to blend in as much as possible. While in the developing stage, these Mimics will take in information they hear or feel through their eggshells and will try to adapt accordingly. 
The Mimic will often hatch a few days or a week later than their other nestmates. Once hatched, the biological parents of the nest will often not realize that the egg has already hatched as the mimic will remain hidden beneath their ''Egg piece'' and will have their eye holes pressed shut to not break the illusion. Upon hatching, the hiding and hunting phase starts immediately.
Whenever the parent leaves the nest unsupervised, the Mimic will emerge from their ''Hiding'' spot by sliding out of the eggshell that is permanently stuck to their head. In this phase, the mimic will eat the other hatchlings as they are often bigger and develop faster with more advanced skills than their nestmates.
 The lower body normally resembles the animal they shared their nest with, but they will retract back into their shell until all other hatchlings are eliminated, or the parents try to discard of the egg. The Egg Mimic's survival chance in this discarding phase is 20% due to many Mimic eggs being placed in bird nests.  Falling or being pushed out of the nest often leads to the protective shell breaking upon impact with the ground. If the shell breaks or even cracks, this may lead to instant death o severe complications.

Though the first weeks of living a carnivores life, these creatures are actually omnivores, capable of eating plant matters, but due to their huge growth rate as hatchlings they require a lot of protein to make it through that stage of their lives.

Egg mimics can be found anywhere on the world, no matter the climate. Sometimes Egg Mimics can also take in the form of mammals that normally don't lay eggs. If a Mammal is close enough near an abandoned Mimic, they will form into that creature in their developing phase (the phase in before hatching)

Even though these creatures are brutal as soon as they hatch, they actually make amazing pets once they leave the nest. They are cute, affectionate and they can even learn tricks. Root chompers were the first to consider egg mimics as pets or companions, some of them even take them in specifically in their nests, especially if neither of their eggs made it. The mimic will take in the form of the parent's species acting as if they are an aqrion, however they are not intelligent enough to be considered Terran dragons. They are often used as a coping mechanism for dragons who lost their clutch's. Fortunately, Egg Mimics will not prey on Adult creatures they mimic, nor their hatchlings after they grown out of their Nest Hunting phase. However, Mimics will prey on Aqrion/Terran hatchlings in their Nest Hunting phase!  So be very careful if you plan on raising Egg Mimics alongside your hatchlings!The older a Egg mimic gets, the more their mimic body shows beneath their egg shell, though they never pass the area's above the neck, as the throat area and everything above always have to be protected.

Egg Mimics as Pets
Aqrions and Chompers that own Egg Mimics as pets often like to paint their shell, this is not impede a pet Mimic in any way.  Dragons consider it humane to use non-toxic paints and dyes that can be washed off.  Egg mimics also love to be dressed up by their owners.  They may not act thrilled about it, but deep down they love the attention.

Sometimes a shell can crack. A large crack can be life-threatening.  A smaller crack, if treated correctly, can heal and poses no threat to the mimic.  A wild mimic would not fare so well due to infections and predators that would attack their weakened shells.

Rules:

• You may design your own Egg Mimic for your dragon.
• The head and neck must always be an egg shell!
• You may include eyes and ears in the shell.
• You may also paint the shells.
• Limbs are allowed to show under the egg.  This can be as minimal as you'd like.  The above examples contain maximum body vs egg ratios.
• You will get your Egg Mimics approved just like normal MYO Companions, submit them into design approval and link a dragon to equip them to (if you want to equip them right away).

You may use this premade lineart for your Egg Mimic if you'd like.