Starmanes
By Heron
General Information
Someone, somewhere, some time in the past decided that mere horses weren’t good enough for noble knights and valorous paladins, and they began summoning angelic Celestial Chargers to breed with their equine livestock, resulting in a species of angel-blooded horses of unusual intelligence. Starmanes are possessed of unusual social grace and wisdom, being perceptive and intuitive creatures with a charismatic aura of calm about them that many beings find soothing. Starmanes have manes, tails, and fetlocks strongly resembling strands of pure starlight, with floating lights that resemble small stars orbiting these light-strands, and sometimes ghostly wings manifest around their backs, never corporeal. The number of wings varies by rank. All Starmanes have prismatic hooves that appear carved from diamond, and their pelts vary as much as natural horses’ can and also include, sometimes, greens and blues and metallic golds and bronzes. While fully as intelligent as humanoids, if not more so, Starmanes do not speak in words. They do, however, have an eloquent language of emotions and impressions, sometimes augmented with mental imagery. They mindspeak in nuance and an almost musical scale of feelings as if perhaps words would detract from their meaning and hinder communication. Perhaps they would. All Starmanes are calm and pleasant to be around, free with their affection and unguarded with their regard, though none of them are naive enough to trust blindly. Mating Information Starmanes mate freely and easily and often, never competing for attention or making a dramatic deal out of choosing a partner. If another of their kind is near and also in the mood, they mate, disregarding all preconceptions of rank or gender role, often, in fact, preferring same-sex partnerships except in cases where reproduction is the ultimate goal, in which case a mare will find a stallion whom she deems a suitable sire for her intended offspring. Bonding Information Starmane bondings are typically quiet, laid-back affairs. The Host stands by to watch youngsters or the previously-wild nose around candidates to get a telepathic feel for the bonding-goers’ personalities. Starmanes are picky about their bonds, but picky about what varies by individual. Some will only bond to humanoids who are pure of spirit. Others feel the need to rescue a soul tainted by darkness. Still others believe all are deserving of love, no matter how innocent or how evil, and seek to find bonds who meet other criteria, such as intelligence or a certain craft skill or a particular sense of humor. Ranks Throne 5* Massive in scale and capable of manifesting fourteen ethereal wings, the Throne is the queen of the Starmanes. Wisest and most nurturing of all, she is also the most pragmatic, most capable of all Starmanes of making terrible, difficult decisions that would break the spirits of lesser creatures. She is a strong creature, both physically and emotionally, and though she prefers to be motherly and gentle, she is capable of great ferocity when the needs of the Host mandate it. Her glowing white eyes see all, her mind forgets nothing. A Throne’s pelt is most likely of all Starmanes to be in pale shades of glistening metallic colors, while the starlight strands and stars that make up her mane, tail, and fetlocks are uniformly pristine white. A Throne may bear between five and ten foals after mating. Solar 4* The junior queen of the Starmanes, the Solar is almost as large as the Throne, marked apart from the rest of the Host by pale blue fire pouring from her eyes and the twelve ghostly wings she can manifest. Her pelt usually ranges in darker shades of black or blue or red, with her light-strands and stars glowing in shades of either deep red or the same electric blue that flames from her eyes. She is an intense creature, the Solar, vigilant and militant, a true warrior of her kind. She deals in absolutes, not understanding emotional nuances as well as the rest of her species. She is no nurturer, but she makes an excellent guardian. After mating, she can bear between one and seven foals. Cherub 3* Larger lords, the Cherubim are the captains to the Solar’s general, the perfect seconds in command to the lesser queen’s militaristic bearing. He is a cunning creature, the Cherub, having an excellent grasp of strategy and tactics, though this does not preclude him from having a sense of humor or the desire to nurture as well as protect. He manifests ten ethereal wings, and his light-strands and stars shine in deep metallic shades while his pelt will vary mostly in the brown-range shades native to natural horses. Devas and Archangels are his preferred mates, though he makes an excellent father if paired with a mare. Deva 3* The slightly smaller of the lords, Devas are the proudest of their species and the most likely to become a little arrogant, though their egotism is rarely pronounced enough to be offensive. They’re good at what they’re good at, and they know it. Never narcissistic, however, they also take pride in the accomplishments of others and are always supportive and enthusiastic, willing to share the limelight. He’s a handsome creature, the Deva, capable of manifesting eight ghostly wings. His pelt comes in vibrant shades of cream and jade green, with matching shades of milk-white and mint for his light-strands and stars Archangel 1* Manifesting six ethereal wings, the Archangel is a study in silver hair and silvery-white light-strands and stars. He’s a quiet sort, focused and driven and intensely protective both of his Host and of specific beings he’s come to care about. He makes for a very good soldier beneath the command of Solars and Cherubim, and also serves as a guardian of the young of the Host. He’s almost as tall as the Cherubim, but he lacks his brother-rank’s bulk, comprised instead of lean lines and wire-like muscle. Lacking the enthusiasm of the Deva, the Archangel is, instead, a contemplative fellow when his more combative or protective sides aren’t needed. Seraph 1* Larger of the common females, no two Seraphim look completely alike. Her pelt comes in shades of sunset, and her light-strands and stars share the colors of a breaking dawn. She manifests four of the ethereal wings so representative of her species. Gentlest of all Starmanes, the Seraph brims with love for life and all things living. She is patient, kind, and of all Starmanes the most prone to bonding to callous or cruel humanoids, hoping to counterbalance them or perhaps encourage them to change and become better people. As such, a Seraph’s life is often one of pain and hardship, but she will always endure and never complain, hoping that her presence will be enough to ease suffering and inspire more nobility of spirit. After mating, she can birth between one and five foals. Celestial 1* Long of limb and broad, the Celestial is the workhorse of the Host, and it thus falls to him to take care of tasks others might find beneath them or physically impossible to do. He prefers to work, honestly, to put his nose to the proverbial grindstone and keep going until he’s left, at the end of the day, covered in dirt and sweat and glowing with a sense of accomplishment for what he’s achieved. His colors are dark and dusky, light-strands and stars coming in shades of twilight lavender. Muscles ripple under his pelt, strong and sturdy. He’s no sprinter, this Starmane, but he’s got the endurance to keep going all day without resting, which he routinely does. If he is not given a task, he will find one, so enamoured of hard work is he. He manifests two wings. Archon 1* The smallest of all Starmane-kind, the Archon is roughly the size of a miniature pony. Her coat is a glowing pale-yellow, as are her light-strands and stars. The Archon manifests no wings, unlike the rest of her kind, but she instead gives off an incandescent light at all times, which she can brighten the intensity of at will or under duress. The most notable thing about her, aside from her glow, is her melodic, trumpet-like voice when she vocalizes, more music than horse in the sounds that she makes. Seemingly unaware of her lack of size, the Archon is a flamboyant little thing, effervescent and charming most times, but also capable of wading into a fight if needed. She mates often, but is too small to bear foals. |