LINEAGE-ONLY MARKINGS
Lineage-Only markings are hereditary and require that one or both parents present the marking to begin with, then offspring may optionally take up that same marking, completely free. There are exceptions for free genos, semi-customs, abandoned pups, and locked cages which may present lineage-only markings for free to you, but if you'd rather not have the marking there's no obligation to use it.
Lineage-Only markings are similar to Free Markings in that they are limited in range, color, or overall visual look. While stylization of markings is open for interpretation, it's important to also follow the image examples for the best result.
❗ If you decide NOT to use a lineage marking, please do not list it in your import information.
❗ Any gene with a "+" indicates a variant of a pre-existing lineage marking, and requires both parents to carry the normal variant of the same gene. This is referred to as a "Double Lineage" marking.
ASPEN
Aspen is a triangular shaped marking that occurs along the forehead + bridge of nose only, and does not extend pass 3-5 "branches" of triangular shape. At minimum, 2-3 Aspen branches should be present, as just 1 could be mistaken for another marking. Aspen has a soft edge, but this isn't always required; so long as there is a defined shape, Aspen can appear very soft.
✘ Aspen should not connect or touch, or be reversed in direction (upside down).
✓ Aspen may be any color, take a gradient, or appear 2-toned.
Banded
Banded covers the entire chest, shoulder + nape, and front legs while sometimes leaving the paws uncovered in color. Banded typically lies underneath all other markings, but may lie atop as well so long as required markings underneath are visible for design judging. Banded is rather restrictive in range and style, and should heavily resemble the examples below.
✓ Banded must be symmetrical, and may optionally connect or separate at the very center of the chest. Banded should not extend pass the lower throat/back of neck, or on the stomach.
✓ Banded may be any color darker than the base, unless effected by a modifier.
Cheetah
Cheetah is a variant of the free-marking, Liner, and takes a more specific shape. Yes, Liner and Cheetah may appear at the same time, but Cheetah must specifically show the "tear marks" very clearly and without dispute to be considered active. Like Liner, Cheetah will follow all the same color rules.
✓ Cheetah has a minimum of showing the "tear marks" , but at maximum, should not be any thicker than around the eyes, lips, and tear areas.
✓Cheetah should be near-black/black or any color significantly darker than the base or marking it sits on (such as Piebald or Greying, not for regular markings like Mask or Hooded.)
deer
Deer is a variant of the Free-marking, Liner, and takes specific shape, yes Liner and Deer may both be present on the same design, so long as the hook along the muzzle is clear and distinct. Deer creates a hook with a soft ending along the muzzle, Deer is rather restrictive in style and doesn't often deviate from the examples.
✓ Deer at minimum must cover both sides of the muzzle, at maximum it will not touch each other, but may be slightly longer varying from suka to suka.
✓ Deer should be near-black/black or any color significantly darker than the base or marking it sits on (such as Piebald or Greying, not for regular markings like Mask or Hooded.)
DIP
Dip is a marking that covers the entire tail (and sometimes top of rump) in one solid color, originally only occuring in black or white, the marking now allows you to use near-black or near-white colors that relate to your base color, tinted with saturation to better fit the base. When effected by modifiers, such as Ember or Opal, Dip can change color or become multi-colored entirely
✓ Dip will cover the entire tail at minimum, and at maximum may create a cuff along the rump.
✓ Dip should/can cover all other tail markings, except white, black tier, or gold-box tiered markings.
✓ Dip may be any solid color or limited gradient (2 colors max) , the most passable forms of Dip however, should be significantly lighter or darker than the base or markings it sits ontop/below. Modifiers will especially help if you want to make your dip a bit more unique in color, but un-modified sukas may not be given the same pass. It will vary per suka.
Flank
Flank is a marking that must be darker than the base or surrounding markings, and begins just behind the lower shoulder, and tapers off before the hips in a swish like motion, following the curve of the ribs, pulling downwards in the center, then ramping back up towards the tuck. Flank is straightforward in looks and can vary from suka to suka in terms of thickness and length, but will always be covering more ribcage than not.
✓ Flank has a minimum area of coverage along the ribs, and a maximum coverage area of not poking pass the shoulders or creeping onto the hips.
✓ Flank must be darker than the base or surrounding areas.
PRIMORDIAL Flank
Primordial Flank is considered the ancient form of Flank, that has resurfaced back into modernized genetics recently as a Double-Lineage marking. The style of this flank has more curve to it and irregular edges (optional), also including "break away" pieces or flecks that fall slightly outside of the main marking. This style also has options for allowing "holes" or "inner stripes" within the center area of the curve, but this should be kept to about 1 hole or inner connected stripe.
✘ Primordial Flank should not extend pass the front shoulder (into the neck) or pass the mid-thigh (onto the hips). It should also avoid touching the spine or belly entirely.
✓ This marking is color friendly, except for pure black/white, and may only be as saturated as the base color is. Gradients are also acceptable, and so is adding a soft/hard "halo" around the marking, set at a lowered opacity.
Helm
Helm is white or lighter than the base marking, that occurs specifically around the ear-rims, or entire top of head in a bald-cap fashion. Helm is commonly present with other white markings, and is always symmetrical, with little to no extensive design or shaping. Helm acts like a white-marking and will occur above all other markings if white in color, if anything other in color, it will act as a normal flexible marking
✓ Helm has a minimum area of the entire ear-rim (tip of ear to base), and a maximum area of forehead (above brows) without touching the cheeks.
✓ Helm may be white or any color lighter than the base.
KNUCKLE / KNUCKLE+
Knuckle is a marking that only occurs around the tops of the toes and dew claws, it can be any color, white included and should never extend down the rest of the toe or cap the whole foot. It is a very limited and small marking, the only variation comes through the shapes it can take on.
✓ Knuckle may be Teardrop or Dot shaped , your choice!
✓ Knuckle + / Talon are breed only/usd-token only genes.
✓ Pleats are a COMBO marking.
INK
Ink is a marking that creates very textured and mottled spotting around the paws, wrists, and facial area, sometimes including the ears. Ink spreads from the bottom (or center) and outwards / upwards. Ink is comprised of both small and medidum spotting, or "splotching" to be more accurate.
✓ Ink has a minimum mottling amount + spread as well as a maximum, seen below.
✓ Ink must be black/near-black in color (like Liver, Muted Chocolate-Red, etc) dependent on the base color in question. Modifiers can alter the color effects of Ink.
ink+ & "tar"
(!) Created by ThistleHare!
Tar is a stylization evolution of the Ink lineage marking, making it a Double Lineage marking, but it counts as an Uncommon Gene and will occupy a uncommon gene marking slot if chosen. The marking covers specific areas of the suka, typically the eyes, throat, paws, and sometimes the chest or tail. The edges of this marking, instead of spotted, must look more defined in their "droplet" formations, and may be clearly stylized, or blend softly into the fur like blood. The edges of the drops may even have "reflective" areas, created my leaving empty space in the dark marking.
✓ Tar/Ink+ must be black or near-black in color relative to the base color it sits on, color gradients are fine, but all colors chosen must adhere to the look.
✓ Tar has minimum and maxi
mum requirements if you plan to use it.
⤼ INVERSE TAR:. Shown on your import information as: "Lineage Markings: ⤼Tar" for inverse tar.
Inverse Tar cannot be chosen, you must have an inverse gene passed onto an offspring, for the inverse appearance to become available. If your suka only rolls regular "Tar", do not use Inverse Tar as an example.
Inverse Tar inverts the Double Lineage/Uncommon marking so that it spills from the spine, top of tail, forehead, upper eyelids, and muzzle. No color becomes inversed and all color rules apply as previously seen.
Onyx
Onyx is a distinct, heavy , and thick striped marking that is evenly spaced and symmetrical. Resembling the natural facial pattern of certain antelopes, similar to Saso, but lacking the lighter/white areas and instead opting for more defined stripes over the cheeks, eyes, and sometimes bridge of nose + forehead. While the natural curve of the stripes are flexible, the placement is strictly limited and requiring of 2-3 thick markings, while only 1 of those marks crossing over the eyes.
Onyx may have soft or hard edges, but should always have a clear and defined shape.
✘ Onyx does not touch the muzzle, or neck.
✓ Onyx must be any color darker than the base, and commonly is near-black/black.
OWL
Owl is a patchy marking that is not quite merle nor is it ticking, but instead a compromise of the two. It resembles barring on birds, but for sukas can extend beyond that, appearing like mottled ticking marks or small fur-textured patches following the flow of the body.
Owl can occur in sparse of heavy amounts , and can overlap and underlap markings as it pleases.
The important aspect of Owl is that it does not heavily clump together, and stays neatly spaced between each patch. However, it is not uncommon to see Owl cluster into specific areas (say along the back, or only showing on the forehead, etc) so long as it is neatly spaced and in a way symmetrical and not-irregular in placement.
✓ Owl has no minimum or maximum range, nor any required or frequent hotspots, however it should occur in enough of a way to be considered the Owl marking, and not just a stray spot added onto a marking w/o those types of shapes.
Avoid only placing light-colored Owl along the back area, as it is commonly mistaken for Fawn and will be corrected.
✓ Owl may be any natural color relative to the base, and even be multicolored or with a gradient, but may not be pure white/near-white.
⤼ INVERSE OWL:. Shown on your import information as: "Lineage Markings: ⤼Owl" for inverse owl.
Inverse Owl cannot be chosen, you must have an inverse gene passed onto an offspring, for the inverse appearance to become available. If your suka only rolls regular "Owl", do not use Inverse Owl as an example.
Inversing your Owl will cause the usually filled centers to become empty, and diamond (or triangular) shaped, there may be implied fur texture or the lines of owl can look almost man-made in shape, so long as it flows in exactly the same way Owl always does. Inverse will allow any color - even white - as an option.
OWL+
Owl+ is the Double-Lineage variant of Owl, and allows the markings to actually mottle together, creating medium to small sized spots of color, spread with neatness over the body. The spots should not conjoin (more than 2-3 spots) into a large heavy patch, or cluster around one specific area. Think of Owl+ as a less restrictive Grease in terms of placement and size, sometimes even creating spotted patterns similar to regular cheetahs, so long as the spots are neatly spaced.
✓ Owl+ may occur anywhere on the body and has no minimum begin point or maximum, so long as it does not overtake the entire design with other markings present or heavily mimic markings like King.
✓ Owl+ may be 2-toned, in gradients, or be any color DARKER than the base color. It may not be lighter than the base, or white.
Panda
Panda is a specific visual marking that only occurs around the brows, upper/lower lids, and cheeks. While the curve or shape of Panda is slightly flexible, the placement will almost always be the same. Panda will always be darker than the base, and can be near-black/black. to be more accurate.
✓ Panda at minimum must fully cover the upper/lower eyelids and brows, at maximum it will end at the edge of the cheeks.
✓ Panda should be darker than the base, and can take gradients, but is typically 1 solid color.
PANDA+ (Combo mark)
Panda + Saddle + Collar will create "Panda+" the double-lineage/combo variant of Panda. This can be achieved by either breeding a parent who has Panda with a parent who has the other required markings, or a single parent may host all the required markings for this combo at once.
✓ Panda+ reverses the marking's placement & color, by instead creating white/near-white or cream panda markings with the dark areas being "empty" to allow other markings to show underneath it.
✓ Panda+ can be white and if so will act as a white-marking, but if it is not pure/near-white, and is instead cream, can go under other markings.
RINGLETS
Ringlets is a distinct marking that has a range of stylization in execution, creating a raccoon-like or lemur-like tail. At minimum, Ringlets should have at least 1 "rings" that fully wrap around the tail. The Ringlets may layer atop one another in varying colors, or may be separated with negative space between each ringlet.
Ringlets are very common to see on striped markings, but these are often inherent rings that occur due to the natural stripe pattern, and not necessarily the Ringlets marking, which can show on non-striped sukas.
✓ Ringlets at minimum must show at least 1 rings, and at maximum will show about 5-7 rings, but this is open to interpretation based on the rest of the design. The thickness of Ringlets should be significant as to not be mistaken for a thin-striping pattern like brindle.
✓ Ringlets are color , gradient, and multi-toned friendly.
SASO
Saso is a very specific looking facial marking, that requires both a white-markeed part with the addition of a darker the base markings underneath. Similar to the markings seen on different variations of antelope, Saso can take a few slight deviances from its pattern, however its clear that it will appear only in a certain area, in a certain layer-style.
The darker area may or may not be soft along the edges, and show thick pointed strips above the eyes, but these are optional things to include. The important aspects as the ear-rims being dark, and the dark area being more spread out in coverage than the white above it.
The white area will cover the base of the ears, brows, inner eye-corner, and the bottom half of the face/muzzle, optionally it may touch the ears and top of head, while avoiding the center/bridge of nose almost entirely. The white should avoid looking asymmetrical or irregular.
✓ Saso can dominate a marking like Mask, but not something very specific like Kubo or Points. While the white area may be more minimal, the darker area tends to take up at least 30-50% of the face.
✓ The dark areas may be any color near-black/black/or significantly darker than the rest of the base/markings it sits upon. The white area must be white/near-white, but can take slightly cream gradient nuance.
SHADOW
Shadow is a marking that occurs in a clean split on one half of the face only. It's asymmetrical and should not heavily spread into the other half of the face. Shadow is completely color friendly, and may take a gradient, but it should not be 2-toned.
✓ Shadow as minimum & maximum must cover the entire half of the face + ear.
✓ Shadow may occur in any color, even pure white.
DOUBLE SHADOW
Double Shadow is the Double-Lineage variant of Shadow, and allows both halves of the face to occur in completely different colors. Sometimes, the marking will take special or unique shape in the center where they meet, but this is not always required, a clean split is acceptable. Double Shadow will either cover all markings on the face, or show underneath all other markings.
✓ Double Shadow must remain symmetrical and cover at least above the brows - to the muzzle, and 50% of the ears, either top or bottom half. The different halves hsould not swirl or mix into one another.
✓ This marking is color friendly, and may be any 2 distinctly different colors. (i.e do not do "grey" and "slightly less dark grey" next to each other, make sure the colors are different enough in hue, value, or saturation!)
STOCKINGS
Stockings are a visually limited marking, as it will never touch the paws or elbows/ankles, and instead is stuck between the two areas, suspended in dark color with exposed toes. The edges may be soft or hard, but may not be completely blurred out like Siamese, a defined shape is required.
Stockings + Accents creates a combination marking called "Hog".
✓ Stockings should appear in the areas shown in the guide, and deviate little from the minimum/maxmium shown.dle.
✓ Stockings should be darker than the base, but are otherwise color Friendly.
tanuki
Tanuki is a connective undereye to chest marking that flows in a v/u-shape along the front of the suka. Tanuki is flexible in its placement to better fit the flow of other markings, but the curve or sway in the lower-end of the tanuki, and along the cheeks, should be somewhat clear.
✓ Tanuki is a restrictive marking, that must occur along the throat/neck and cheeks, while remaining symmetrical. The thickness of tanuki is subjective, but it should be thick enough to constitute being its own marking, and not a "stripe" or brindle-like marking.
✓ Tanuki is color friendly and may take gradients, but should avoid being 2-toned, and if pure-white, should not be intersected with other white-markings.
