yaoiwafflez
Hardworking Weyrling
I have a sad obsession with J-rock.
Posts: 278
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Post by yaoiwafflez on Dec 7, 2012 21:30:38 GMT -5
((Oh, why not? Could be interesting.)) Hybrid Species: Wher-wolf (Yes, someone on the scientific team has a sense of humor.) Also easily shortened to just 'wolves', or wher-dogs, wher-pups, anything vaguely canine with 'wher' tacked on the beginning. Ranks are defined as 'Larges' or 'Metallics' and 'Smalls'. Plural Term: Wher-wolves, (Wher-hounds, Wher-dogs, etc) Group Term: Pack (of Wher-wolves) Species Info: DNA Spliced - Lupine with very slight bits of canine mixed in for domestication and sociability purposes, Wher DNA. (Variety of wolf DNAs mixed. Hybrids of Grey, Timber, Arctic, Mexican- mostly Canis Lupus- grey wolf- and it's subspecies.) Bond - Not necessary though like many canines they tend to have a particular human they 'bond' with best, and who they regard as master or 'alpha'. Like both whers and wolves they are very pack-oriented and will form bonds with the human they choose and whoever or whatever the human is close to, such as flits, dragons, or whers the human may have bonded as well as family, close friends, or lovers of the human bonded. Humans can bond as many as they can take care of. Communication - They are minorly telepathic and can do the flitter equivalent of emotion-sending though they lack the mental capacity for most images or words beyond a few favorite words- commonly they will only know five or so words and they're usually words like 'dinner', 'Home' and their 'bonded' human's name and sometimes the human's dragon or wher partner if they have one. 'No' is also a favorite word. They are less imaginitive than a flitter and less capable of sending solid images, but they know those certain words well and can 'speak' them better than a flit ever could be. Still they're not anywhere closer to whers and more like minorly telepathic dogs. Appearance: Roughly the size and shape of wolves. Quadrupedal with four legs and a set of wings. Mostly lupine in appearance. Faces are that of canines with slightly softened muzzles. They have a set of ears like a canines as well as headknobs on their foreheads and extending back. They have canine teeth but slightly elongated canines. They have five claws on each forepaw like a canine- 4 toes and a thumb higher up. Back paws have 4 toes only. The toes are longer than a true wolf's but not at all as long as a draconic equivalent. Toes have pads on the bottom like a canine. Tail is long like a dragons but there is no fork at the ends. The tail is also covered in long fluffy fur like a wolf's tail only longer. There is much more similarity to a wolf's anatomy than a dragons minus the wings and headnobs. The body is more long than a wolf however with longer hindlegs like a wher or dragon. The whole body is covered in fur but not like a wolf. Over most of the body it is a very short fur more like the coat on a shorthaired horse, very fine and soft like velvet. On the neck and tail it is thick and coarse like a wolf's ruff and there is longer fur on the elbows and back of the thighs as well as 'feather' fur patterning on the backs of the 'wrists' and 'ankles' (See golden retriver dogs for reference. Note- the scientists who created this species have no single clue where that trait came from.) The wings are also heavily furred with a thick ruff or mane running from the neck just around the ears and cheeks all down the back and sides of the neck and across the shoulders of the body as well as the wing shoulders. The fur continues along the 'arms' of the wings. The membrane of the wings is left alone and is simply leathery like a wher or dragon's wings. Yes these creatures can and will fly, though like their wher counterparts they are also extremely capable of fast running. They can also swim but are generally about as graceful as a dog- that is they are not really aquatic. Colorations - they tend to follow natural wolf coat patterns but in shades of dragon hues. The Larges tend to have a faint metallic hue to their coat (Note- fur means the ruff and tail and feathering while coat means the much shorter substitute for hide) while their fur is much longer, often in exotic coat patterns like brindle or like silver tabbies and they will always have a metallic sheen to them usually only noticed in light on the fur. Smalls tend to come in primary colors and are never metallic. Both ranks can have nearly any color fur or coat but it is usually somewhat muted and more natural looking. (The coat is usually the colors of a dragon hide wile the fur is more natural like a real animal's coloring. Say... the short coat is blue but the fur -mane, tail and joints- would be gray or brown.) They eyes are the shape and coloring of a wolf's eyes. Their eyes do not change color. Their blood is iron based and red. Size: The are the size of large wolves with the 'higher ranked' ones being the largest and bulkiest generally like Dire wolves. Height - Between three and five feet at the shoulder (five being the largest- roughly the size of a large pony and the smallest being the size of a small wolf) and equivalent length. Wingspan tends to be somewhat double their length and very broad and roundish. Hierarchy: Females lead packs, with the largest females being the most powerful and generally the smartest as equivalent to a gold dragon. Males have a similar size heirarchy. One female is the Alpha, with her chosen mate (if any, and they may be of any rank or size) serving as the Alpha male or secondary leader. Any other Wher-wolves in a pack take on middle roles though there may occasionally be an omega rank at the very bottom in larger packs. (Only applies to large groups.) The only difference between ranks is size- the 'Large' are the far bigger creatures, the ones the size of small ponies, while the 'Small' (the words used to distinguish between ranks) are the size of normal wolves or slightly larger. Mating Cycle: Equivalent to that of a true wolf. Females go into 'heat' two to three times a year, with smaller females being more fertile but less likely to concieve. Males fight each other for the right to mate with her after she sends out a special scent and the winner of the fights is usually the one who gets to mate with her, though like most dogs the female will eventually choose the only male avaliable to her if given only one option. (Selective breeding and such.) Unlike whers or dragons if kept out of reach of males the female will eventually pass her heat cycle (like true wolves) and will go back to normal and will not be able to conceive. Life Cycle: Equivalent to that of a long-lived wolf, or somewhere between ten and twenty years. Pups are born with eyes closed and hairless, but within two to three days open their eyes, grow a lyer of soft downy fur, and begin to move around. Pups stay puppyish for roughly a year, following a growth cycle similar to true wolves. They may be weaned from their mothers at six to eight weeks, but if left with their mothers longer the mother may take to training and socializing them herself, before she will eventually push them away on their own at about six months. They are considered mature at a year, and females will begin a mating cycle somewhere after that. Between one and two years they may still grow somewhat and will be at a 'teenage' stage where they may yet display puppyish behavior. At two years they are fully grown and mature mentally and physically. They may 'bond' at any stage in the way a puppy may take a favorite human at a very young age. They do not need to bond to survive and much like whers can bond at any stage in their life. They have whatever names they are given, though once they are given a name they do lot like it changed even if they are abandoned/given up and if they pick a new bonded human they will keep the same name. (Puppies are something of an exception.) Personality and Traits: They are diurnal, though can adapt to any schedule easily enough to keep up with their bonded. They are carnivores and eat meat as well as a little bit of grains and breads much like true dogs. They do act agressively if threatened and are very pack oriented. Hurting or threatening harm to their bonded will cause them to go into defense mode. They are easily trained but very independent. They cannot go between, they cannot 'hear' anyone who is not speaking to them (like a dragon coluld adress them) with the exception of their bond human. ((I know this may seem similar to other impressable animals I have seen but I swear it's coincidence. Dog-dragon hybrids appear to be common. I tried to make sure I didn't make it too similar to something else. For an idea on appearance please see Here. Note that is absolutely not my art and I DO NOT USE IT with anything but a suggestion of where the fur lies. )) |
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Post by redwerecat on Dec 7, 2012 22:51:54 GMT -5
((I'm doing this. Give me a moment to write up something, hopefully I'll be done by the 9th, but if not, que sera. [Que cera?] Finals rush, and what.))
Hybrid Species: Dracha (Drah-kha)
Plural Term: Dracha
Group Term: School
Species Info: DNA bases- Multiple.
* Whers! Of course. Whers served as the base for size, strength, and loyalty. (And, strangely, intelligence.)
* Fire Lizards- Flit DNA was mixed in to ease the aggression issues of the whers, and to allow for a more diurnal creature.
* Tunnel Snakes...? No, seriously, no one has a clue how THAT got in there. (Actually just here to explain the hexapedal nature- IMHO I have always imagined Tunnelsnakes as six-limbed serpentlike creatures, not like snakes.)
* Fish- Variety (Beta Fish- yes, really, Marlin, Swordfish, Tuna, Koi, Goldfish, Catfish, multiple large, fresh-and-saltwater species, usually sport species or open-ocean types, especially game fish known for their speed, scaling, or strength- hence the amount o game fish used in the DNA pool. Tropical fish were generally left out.)
* Snakes- Variety (Sea Snake, Boa Constrictors of multiple breeds, tree snakes, water-faring/water-loving species capable of swimming)
* Salamander - Various breeds for climbing ability and swimming skill and aquatic-life adaptation.
* Lizard - Variety (Iguana, number of aquatic lizards)
* Amphibian - HUGE VARIETY (Frog, Salamander, anything to perfectly tweak the aquatic abilities and amphibian life cycle)
* Dolphin - Multiple breeds, for intelligence.
* Octopus - Also for intelligence. (Okay, so the science team working on this project was probably a bunch of very bored marine biologists.)
Basically, an Amphibious Snake-Fish-wher hybrid?
Impression/Bonding: Like Whers, they blood-bond by way of Impression. They spend enough time in their 'baby' stage (*see life cycle) that they may in fact get to know the pool of potential humans to bond with an pcik a favorite on their own. (For example, puppies- a human interacting with a litter of puppies may find a particular pup taking a shine to them. Much like dragons, a Dracha may have a preference in personality type- one may like a loud human, one my like a more mild-mannered one, however, they will just as easily and willingly bond strangers, like whers.) Also like whers, they seal the bond with blood, eyes whirling with rainbows.
Multiples can in fact bond to a human, much like flits, though the bond tends to stray more along the lines of a wher in terms of strength. Unlike whers, they are not as aggressive or as possessive, so if their chosen human has another bond they will not care. (Meaning established dragonriders, wherhandlers, etc, may Impress one without worry. On the other hand, the dragon or wher may have something to say about that! They are in fact more sentient and self-aware than flitters!)
A human losing one as a partner won't feel as much in the way of loss as losing a wher bond, but it's a much sharper impact than losing a flit. They MAY survive un-bonded, and are in fact roughly as intelligent as whers and may be trained and worked with without bonding, but bonding makes it easier, and, obviously, makes the partnerships work better.
Like whers, mistreatment will in fact cause them to break a bond, and if their human dies, the may well go feral and survive on their own.
Intelligence- UH. Parallel to whers, or at the very least, Pernese Shipfish. (On the lowest spectrum, Earth dolphins.) They can in fact speak, and while they tend to only have a wher-like intelligence when speaking, (short, clipped sentences with occasionally garbled syntax and grammar) they have the capacity to grasp concepts on a level most whers could not imagine. They have an inherent sense of time and space (thanks to their flit DNA) and a deep grasp of concepts and plans that makes them very, very clever. They don't tend to imagine on their own, but if a bondmate puts an idea in their heads, they are very capable of executing it. They are goal oriented and capable of keeping multiple steps in their memories. (For example, they were originally created to help aquatic scientists, and as such, complex ideas such as 'GO here, put this here, press the red button, and come back' are simple, where as a flitter would likely get distracted even before the first step.)
In short- wher-like intelligence with improved memory and speech pattern.
They CANNOT go between however, and though the telepathy genes enhanced by Mentasynth were the prominent ones, the teleportation skills were, apparently, not properly spliced. (Or, more likely, given their tailoring to aquatic circumstances, let dormant. A creature teleporting in deep water would be in more danger of incorrectly gauging water pressure, current, etc, as a dragon is capable of doing in air. Then again, whers have hardly been known for their skills in betweening.)
Appearance:
Body- Quadrupedal, covered not in hide, but in slick, defined scales over the whole body. (Well- hexapedal, more accurately!) The Dracha have six legs. Relatively evenly spaced in comparison to most quadrupeds, however, like dragonkin, they have a second set of limbs above and slightly behind the forelegs. On dragons and whers this manifests as wings, however, in Dracha, the DNA was altered so that on them, it manifests as a fully functional second set of limbs spaced behind the first forelimbs. Then there's the expanse of chest and abdomen, and a set of hindlegs.
They're relatively lizard-shaped, in the form and function of their legs, which tick out slightly and bend at the elbows before leading into thick-palmed paws, with four toes on each foot. The forelimbs have a dew-claw like thumb on them allowing for minor-level manipulation of objects- however, they lack the ability for much fine manipulation as the 'fingers' are webbed like a frog's. Each finger is tipped with a circular pad under the claws, again, similar to a frogs, though they retain the circular footpad of a wher. They have shorter limbs than one would see on a dragon, but longer than a wher's, and the fore-and-hindlegs are of more equal lengths.
They look more sleek and tapered than a wher, with a long, slender build more reminiscent of a serpent (or, as Earth residents are familiar with, a 'chinese' dragon.) Thus, short limbs, long middle, long, twining tail, and the sort of spinal and ribcage build allowing them to coil tightly around themselves like a boa constrictor. Their scales, while prominent and very defined to the touch, they lie so perfectly interlocked and overlapped with eachother that they never cause trouble for movement and in fact, the Dracha are quite sleek to the touch. (Like a snake's skin.)
Their faces are draconic, vaguely equine in shape, though with a pulled-back jawline of a serpent , and they have short, triangular teeth with flatter molars, like all dragonkin. The head has dragonkin headknobs stretching back from the skull, longer than a wher's and with odd little branches on the ends giving them a triple-pronged look. (No one knows how this happened.) Along the back of the neck, instead of a dragon's neckridges, there are fish fins along the neck, heading down the spine and to the tail. They also posses similar fins on each foreleg, along the back of the 'arm to assist in swimming. When on land or at rest, the fin folds back some, reminiscent of the wher's wings. They also have delicate fins along the lower part of the neck, the hips, shoulders, and over the eyes, in place of eye ridges (for an idea, see Leafy Sea Dragons), as well as in big sweeps along the end of the tail like a rudder.
While on land, they crawl more like alligators or lizards, in water they are extremely fast and graceful, incredibly limber and swift. On land, even, they possess a great deal of flexibility, and they are great climbers and often twist and drape themselves over tree branches like snakes. Obviously, they cannot fly.
They have sharp claws, and while they don't tend to be big or very strong, they possess a hefty amount of muscle and, like snakes, tend to strangle their prey instead of hunting it. They have vocal cords, and wile they mostly hiss and chirp much like dolphins, they also have the ability to make high pitched dragon-like chirping noises, though clicks and hissing is more common.
Their eyes are large anr round, with three membranes over it to allow for underwater vision. Like a wher, the eyes whirl in colors, though these eyes are completely smooth and round, not faceted. The colors tend to mix and mingle much more muddily than a wher or dragon, and it's often harder to gauge their emotions. On their muzzles, they also have a set of catfish-like whiskers, with a set of extremely long main feelers and several smaller sets along the upper lip. Their vision is not the greatest (they see in a combination of wher-vision, semi-heat based, and normal vision, though they tend to see much brighter colors and are more movement based.) They have a very altered sense of depth perception to account for water's bending of light, so on land, they tend to 'see' with their whiskers and sense sounds and vibrations.
Coloration- variable. They may possess any number of markings and colorations, and it is not at all uncommon for a variety of off markings to crop up. The scale patterning is rather close to the original dragon colors, though the coloration on the fins may be in almost any color, and may easily cross odd, jarring patterns. (Tropical fish DNA sneaking in oddly.)
Size: They have ranks exactly as whers do. Metallic ranks are the breeding males and females, and tend to be the largest, and they follow general colors of whers. Their 'size' is measured in length from nosetip to tail, as their height is often irrelevant as they are often far longer than they are tall, roughly four times. NOTE- height is from foot to top of head. Height from foot to withers is probably half that, and halved once more due to posture- ie, 8 feet head to toe, 4 feet to shoulders, 2 feet due to the crouched stance.
Weight is pretty hefty,with even the small colors being surprisingly weighty- their bodies are compact muscle, like a snake. They are larger than Earth serpent counterparts around, with the largest sizes being thicker around than humans and very dangerous if in a compression coil, while the smallest sizes, even if thinner, are strong enough to break a human's arm if they are threatened.
Gold- Females, possess a metallic shimmering sheen to their scales, though they may range in color from burnished brown-gold to any shades of yellow, orange, and even reds and whites. Common marking colors are reds, oranges and even rare koi-patterned black. They are often nearly twenty-five feet long, with a height of seven to eight feet at the top of the head. They tend to be the most intelligent, and have the biggest nests.
Bronze- Males, also metallic. Coloration tends to vary from red, orange, brown, and all shades of copper and bronze. Markings can appear in black, white, and silver, as well as bright blues and greens as if they were rusting metal. Twenty feet long. They tend to be the strongest and bossiest, and also tend to be guardians. Very territorial.
Brown- Males, with shiny but ultimately simply matte scaling. They tend to be brown of any shade, as well as black, white, and reds. All warm colors may appear on a brown's scales. Markings tend to appear in purples and monochromatic colors, as well as yellows and tans. Eighteen feet long. They tend to be gatherers and often hoard food. They are also often good at finding food.
Blue - Males, matte scaling, though often with the flashiest and largest fins. All shades of blues, purples, indigo, as well as gray. Markings may be in any neon colors, usually blue, green, bright neon reds and yellows, and whites or blacks. They are anywhere from twelve to sixteen feet long, with larger males often being more active and stubborn. Blues are incredibly fond of water, and often very flighty and absentminded. They're also very aggressive and fight with each other constantly.
Green - Females, and Fertile. Their scales are any range of greens to even near-yellows and browns, and they may have markings in yellows, blues, and similarly neon colors, OR they will have very muddy, camoflagelike markings. Length is from ten to fourteen feet. They tend to have very soft-edged fins. Greens are sweet and gentle, and often collect and hoard food, and are very good at finding trinkets to build nests with. As mothers, they have small nests with only one to two surviving young.
Whites- Males or females, an oddity. Can in fact be fertile. Scales will always be shades of white (tinged to very pale shades of any color, mainly pink or pale yellow), grey, or black, with an opalescent sheen over all the scales and fins. Markings will only be in opalescent shades across the scales, reflecting light. They are tiny in comparison, often no longer than four to six feet. They don't tend to breed, but if they do, they will rarely have surviving young.
Hierarchy: Metallic colors 'rule', with chromatic colors falling under them, though it is not uncommon for a green to make her own nest with an entourage of blues and browns. They do each have duties, but usuall all duties are split in schools unless there's a nesting female- then, all females will defend the nest while brown and bronze males gather food and blues defend. Whites will usually act as scouts or sub-tenders to the nests.
(Further typical duties listed under colors ranks.)
Mating Cycle:
Complicated? Unlike dragonkin they do not have a one-time mating cycle, instead entering a heat cycle and mating with multiple partners out of a selected few for the strongest genes. A gold may choose a favored bronze as her mate, while greens tend to be less particular. Females tend to simply go into a mating cycle and the males pick up on it- the males will then fight eachother for the right to mate with her, and she will eventually mate with the winner- it is not uncommon for the males to be injured, and often, a female may just pick the strongest and most battlescarred male.
Of course, if the female does not like a males attitude, she may well also simply chase him off and pick a different suitor. Still, it's a fight amongst the males to show off, and while they rarely kill one another, they do tend to be cut up, clawed, chewed on, and tired after the fighting. (Luckily, the fins and scales are regenerative, and damage heals quickly- damage to the fins and scales is usually simply superficial.)
The female will then grow pregnant with a clutch of gooey, soft-shelled eggs like an amphibian, keeping them inside only a few days before depositing them in a bunch in a nest she will have created before she went into the heat (the nest is always in the water, and usually made of rocks, dirt, sticks, even shed scales as well as a particular hardened saliva she uses to mash it all together.). The eggs are clumped together, transparent, and look more like fish or frog eggs than dragon eggs. The eggs will remain transparent, though the babies within will not show their coloring until after they hatch.
A gold's clutch will have somewhere around forty eggs, with between twelve and sixteen viable young of any color, while a green clutch will have around forty eggs but with only five or six viable young, and usually only green, blue, or brown offspring- if bred with a bronze, they may also throw a bronze or gold here and there rarely. (Similar to a wher's clutch ratio) Whites, if female, if bred, will only have four or five eggs, and it is incredibly rare that one will come to full term, and they will usually only ever spawn other whites. Thus, they're rarely bred.
(See life Cycle for post-hatching information.)
Life Cycle:
When hatched, they resemble nothing more than rather hideous-looking tadpoles with six little fin-nubs. At this stage they are fully aquatic, and stay within the nest. Usually, out of all the eggs, only a third will hatch, with the rest being duds or stillborn. (Like a wher, not all eggs are fertile from the beginning. This is usually easily seen as the 'live' eggs will wriggle and twitch, while the dud eggs possess only amniotic fluid and goo, and will generally not show quite as clear a shape as the live eggs.) The young, at this stage called wrigglers, will grow rapidly over the next two weeks, swiftly developing lungs as well as gills, and developing legs from the fin-nubs they are born with. (Like frogs.) They are pale white-grey, with a first layer of infant scaling that is shed (and will periodically be shed every few months for the rest of their lives like a snake) as they develop. All babies are the same size.
After two weeks, the wrigglers will be able to emerge from the water- at this point they will be ravenous, having survived so far on the remnants of the dead eggs and will have not left the nest. (Shaped much like a beehive and unable to be seen into- a mother Dracha may tell her bonded how many young she has, however, she will not even let the bonded see them.) During this stage they will have grown in their scales and body fins, and developed their colorings.
At this stage they tend to be called just crawlers or hatchlings. As soon as they leave the water the first time they will usually be fed by the kills their mother hunts down for them. At this stage she will announce her children live, and call any who may wish to bond them to her nest. She may select which human gets a baby by simply grabbing them and placing them in front of a human, or she may allow them to choose. (From here, it runs very similarly to a wher hatching.)
They start off all the same size, and even at bonding they are the same size, though in their first year they will grow to near full size very rapidly. Smaller sizes will be fully grown at roughly a year, while metallics and larger browns will take closer to two years to reach full size.
Females will be sexually mature at a year to a year and a half, even if the golds have not reached full growth, though the first spawn of eggs is usually light and only one or two young survive.
Biology: Aquatic, Diurnal, copper-based blood (Ichor), Hexapedal, Carnivorous (truly Omnivorous, though require meat in diet)
Diet- Fish, sea plants, even capable of subsisting on Earth small creatures such as shrimp or shellfish if they supplement diet with plants, fruits, veggies, etc. (In a wild setting, of course- since they're a lab-created breed, so far, they have carefully-managed, nutrient rich diets.)
They're diurnal, and tend to be less active in the day, though like many animals they can easily adapt to a different schedule over time. They have a layer of scales that they shed once every four months or so, similar to a bird's molting, though if pulled out prematurely the scales grow back quickly- the fins are also very easy to repair if torn or cut.
They retained (somehow!) the green, copper-based blood/ichor of the Pernese creatures they were based around, as well as the six-limbed body structure rather unique to that world. Apparently, even when spliced in with multiple varieties of double-helix DNA, the triple-helixes of the Pernese creatures was the stronger base, and despite multiple attempts to alter it, in these creatures, at least, there seemed to be no way to create a viable organism (that didn't die instantly or have horrible, painful mutations rendering it incapable of survival without constant medical care- ugh, don't even ask about the first couple of experiments) without it having very definite Pernese characteristics. (Or who knows. Maybe it was lingering effects of the Mentasynth used by the original Settlers that made the original dragons and whers so resistant to mutation until now?)
Other Info: Basically created as an answer to the lack of truly water-faring creatures on Pern. (The scientists in question did not truly believe stories of the Shipfish.) Dracha (named entirely on a whim by a relation of one of the science team who happened to be a small girl with no ability to pronounce 'Dragon' correctly) are simply a step in the Aquatic direction in relation to Whers.
((Is it too obvious I REALLY like making things This is actually a sort of extension on a Pern sub-species I've had fiddled up for a while. If it's too close to dragonkin, and you were in fact looking for something more like a pet and less like dragonkin, but you DO like them, I can change plenty.
They're sort of a water-wher idea I was working on.
On that note, if you WOULD prefer to make them a wher-variant or something, that's fine too. I was going off the idea of leaving them as flit-like in rank, not common, but compatible with existing wher and dragon bonds. If, for some reason, you all like them and would rather have them separate, please do so. ON that note, however, I don;t even know how double-bonding goes here. Do we double-bond whers? Hmm. Unrelated, I suppose.
And if the appearance description seems strange, it's because I have a particular look in mind, and I plan to add a drawing soon enough to clarify. For now, if you want a VERY simple and not entirely accurate descriptions, see a six-limbed chinese dragon crossed with a beta fish. I'll add a size comparison image soon. Maybe. Imagine, if you will... uh. Something out of a bad sci-fi movie, I guess.
OKAY DONE.))
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Post by FaizahPandora on Dec 11, 2012 23:27:37 GMT -5
Hybrid Species: Pegasus
Plural Term: Pegasi
Group Term: Band
Species Info: The DNA used here were Firelizards and Horses, with a little bit of Pig thrown in for intelligence. Pegasi don’t need to bond, like flits, but seem to be calmer when bonded. The older Pegasi can communicate with humans, and even dragonkin. But their vocabulary is very limited. Mostly they talk like a six year old; very simply but understandably. Because they have wings, Pegasi can fly. Providing their wings are large enough, that is. They cannot, however, go between.
Females are referred to as does; Males as bucks; Babies as fawns.
Pegasi are omnivores. They will eat vegetation, meat, eggs, water vegetation, wood or even insects. Essentially, they will eat anything that provides nutrients or protein. This all depends on where they are, and what food is available. They also bleed red blood, instead of ichor. They are hunted creatures. A pack of wild dogs, or a mountain lion or other large cat, will take a Pegasi down. With the smaller ones, even a determined house cat could take down, given the right circumstances.
Pegasi are relatively intelligent. They aren’t creative, but once shown how to do something they have a steep learning curve. They can be taught next to anything, with enough patience. All they need is that extra little push.
Pegasi are essentially mammalian. They birth live young, and they produce milk for their young. The milk for Pegasi fawns contains many vitamins, nutrients, minerals and a high fat content. Thus far, no one has been able to replicate Pegasi milk.
A bonded Pegasi is calmer. They create a general bond with a person, allowing them to talk telepathically and simply know where their bonded is at all times. If more than one Pegasi is bonded to the same person, the Pegasi will have the same bond with each other. This bond between Pegasi only occurs when they share a bonded human. Only three Pegasi will ever bond to a human at one time. Like Whers, Pegasi will leave their bonded if they are being mistreated.
Pegasi have a wide range of sounds. They have a snort, whimper, trill, purr, whinny, neigh, trumpet, scream, nicker and bleat. Each of these sounds are used in differing situations, and differing emotions. The scream is only ever used in severe fear, pain or anger. The bleat is used only when mourning a bonded, a fawn or an elderly Pegasi.
Appearance: Pegasi essentially look like horses. Their proportion is that of horses, as is their muscle structure. They had six limbs, two sets of legs and a set of wings. The front set of legs are structured like a horse’s, but instead of ending in a pair of hard hooves, they end in tridactyl splayed feet. Two toes are facing forward, with one facing backwards. This allows Pegasi to be able to pick up or move larger objects. Their hind legs remain that of a horse’s hind legs.
The head is shaped like a horse’s, but the eyes are bigger and change color like that of flits. They have no pupil, either, and their eyes do not whirl with emotion. They just simply change color. On the poll, or the peak of the head, there appears to be the beginning of small headknobs, no more than half an inch long. The tail resembles that of a firelizard, but with long hair still covering it, including the small forks at the end. The mane doesn’t end at the withers, or the top of the shoulders, but instead continues down the horse’s back to join with its tail. The length of the mane along the back shortens, but is still longer than the hair covering the Pegasi’s body.
Pegasi come in a wide range of colors. The combination of horse, flit, and pig seemed to open the flood gates for color. The main body, covered in short fine hair, can be any color imaginable. All of the patterns you see on horses can also be found on a Pegasus, including appaloosa and paint or pinto colors. The mane, the longer hair that runs from the poll to the tip of the tail forks, will only be the common colors of dragonkin. Usually the larger Pegasi have gold or bronze manes, while the smaller ones have blue, green or even white. This may be how it normally occurs, but is by no means the only way it occurs. One of the first specimen was 6.3ft tall, with a mane of green.
Those with gold or green manes are always female, while those with bronze, brown or blue manes are always male. Pegasi with white manes can be either male or female, though the males are always sterile.
Fawns look like baby horses, their mane not having grown in yet. They are covered in soft downy hair, which appears to be white but is really a very pale version of what their manes will later be. They gain color as they age, starting from the age of a month. By the time they are 3yrs old, full maturity, they will have a full mane and their color will have arrived.
Wings large enough to fly occur the most often in bucks. Does have smaller wings, and newborn fawns have such small wings they are barely noticeable. Even if a doe does have a wingspan large enough to fly, she rarely will. It is believed this happens because of an instinct to stay with her fawn, should there be danger.
Size: They range anywhere from 3.6ft tall to 6ft tall, even though in some cases they can be as small as 6in or as big as 10ft. Their wing size is not dependent on size or color, however. It is just as likely to get a 6ft gold with only foot long wings as it is to get one with 20ft long wings. Their size is not dependent on color, either. Instead, it is dependent on breeding.
Hierarchy: Pegasi have a herd sense, and will always band together. If they are wild, these bands consist of one or two bucks, with a harem of does. The bucks may or may not force a doe to enter the band, but they will force her to stay once she is there. The bucks are the protectors, keeping the band together and keeping predators out. In each band the does form a pecking order. There is a lead doe, which is usually gold maned. Then each doe has a place under her. If anything happens to the lead doe, the one under her will take her place. The lead doe is also the mediator, helping others in the band to work out their problems. She is also the first doe to breed in the year, often going into heat as early as an entire season ahead of the others.
It is not uncommon for younger Pegasi to form bachelor/bachelorette bands. They usually consist of juvenile bucks and does, or elder bucks that have lost their band to a younger rival. These bands are much looser than the others. There is no set lead male or female. The Pegasi simply follow the most confident one among them.
In the event of danger, especially with fawns in the band, two things happen. One buck may take to the skies, diving down at the danger to try and discourage it. The other buck, if there is a second buck in the band, will stay on the ground to lead the does. If does have a fawn, especially one still nursing, she will not take flight, even if she has the wingspan to do so. Instead she will lead her fawn from danger, or turn and fight it.
A gold maned doe will never leave her fawn. This means for higher survival rates in the fawns of gold maned does. A green maned doe is balanced precariously between fight and flight, even when the life of her fawn is in question. Green maned does often lose their fawn because of this. A white maned doe rarely delivers live fawns. If the fawn is born living, the entire band will come together to care for and protect it. The fawns of white maned Pegasi, and white maned Pegasi themselves, are doted on. They are never pushed from the band, and will be given first food and water rights among the herd. No one is certain why this is.
Orphaned fawns are cared for by none, unless they are white maned or the fawn of a white maned doe. This is especially fatal if the fawn is still nursing. Pegasi milk has not been replicated, and any attempts to replicate it have been poisonous. Nursing fawns also cannot stomach any milk but Pegasi milk. It shuts down their colon and they die a painful death. In rare cases an orphaned fawn has bonded to a human and lived.
Mating Cycle: Pegasi mating cycle is similar to horses. They come into heat once a year, and will mate with the lead buck of their band. If they are not in a band, or are among a bachelor band, the bucks will fight for mating rights. There are three ways for a buck not in a band to get a doe without a band. The first is to intimidate any other bucks from coming near the doe, in which case the doe will simply lose patience and mate with the available buck. This tactic is usually that of a bronze maned buck. The second is to win a fight, often times sustaining wounds and scars. This is the tactic most often used by blue or white maned bucks. The third is to isolate the doe and mate by force, a tactic used only by desperate elderly bucks.
Bronze and brown maned bucks are often the leaders of bands, since they are wilder tempered than the blue maned bucks. At the same time, gold maned does will choose a buck more for his temperament than a green maned doe. Green maned does are more precocious, wanting the first available buck.
Life Cycle: Life starts with the mating, which usually occurs in early summer. The fawn is then born six months later, usually by mid-autumn. The fawn is born white and fluffy, with only a small amount of mane between its ears. Like a foal, it will stumble to its feet. It will then nurse, its mother will take it for a small run among the band, and then it will discover its wings which have been plastered to its body. It will extend them, airing them out until even the downy fur there is dry. The fawn will stay by its mother’s side until it is a year old. It will nurse only for two months before moving on to whatever diet is most readily available.
Once the doe pushes the fawn from her side, it is considered a juvenile. This is the most opportune time to “Impress” the fawn, since this is the best time for them to choose a bonded. The bond will be sealed with large amounts of the fawn’s favorite food, and a good deal of attention. It is suspected the bond needs attention because the bond with the mother, and her attention, has just been severed.
Pegasi fawns will go through a 2 to 3 year juvenile stage, where their hide color will fully develop and their mane will completely grow in. When they are 2 years old, the resident buck will push them from the band. At this point the fawn will go off and will either find a bachelor band or wander alone.
At 3 years old a Pegasi is fully grown, fully developed, and ready to join or create their own band. Bucks will be seen as a threat to any other buck who claims a band. Meanwhile, a doe will be accepted into almost any band with open arms. The only exception to this rule would be her home band, if the doe didn’t leave the roaming grounds of her home band. This is also the time when a doe will first go into heat.
A Pegasi has a general life cycle of 50 years, easily living with their bonded for their entire life. A Pegasi, while it is large enough in most cases to be ridden, will only allow its bonded to ride it. Depending on wing size, the Pegasi may even be able to carry a rider while flying. A Pegasi at the end of its life will become very lethargic. Until the day it will go off on its own for the last time, and its presence with its bonded will simply fade away. This is a sad occasion, and it will find any Pegasi within a mile giving the perished Pegasi their lamentations. Every Pegasi will stop and call out a few times.
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