Post by ETITERUM on Jun 8, 2015 12:20:40 GMT -6
UNICORNS
no we're not horses
Unicorns are magical, equine-like creatures known for their distinctive horn, their wild and elusive natures and their fantastical healing powers. They can live for up to 300 years in the wild. They live in woodland and forests all over the world, and maintain the balance in their territory, but due to loss of habitat, more and more are dying out or being driven to live among humanity.
» APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOUR.
Unicorns look like a cross between a deer and a horse. They stand at about 14hh (56 inches at the shoulder) making them about the size of a small horse. Unicorns in the north are stockier and taller (some reaching to 16hh), southern unicorns are small and slender. They are much daintier than horses with more delicate face and legs, and have less rigid backs, making them more nimble and swift but also less ‘ride-able’. They are born dark, but go grey and ultimately white with age, although the odd unicorn stays black or brown. They might look like horses but they are not just horses with horns! They have cloven hooves, lion tails and feathery tufts on their fetlocks, hocks and chins. And, most importantly, they have a horn in the middle of their forehead. The horn varies greatly from animal to animal; it usually has a spiraling pattern and can be anything from a foot in length to a small spike. The horn colour is natural and appropriate to the coat. Their eyes are wide and innocent and can be any natural colour, and this stays with them in their human form. They have a deer-like, graceful, sometimes hesitant walk, but can gallop very quickly when necessary.
Humans cannot see a unicorn’s true form. If they are ever fortunate enough to see one, they will probably disregard it as a small horse. Only supernaturals can see or even stand a chance of tracking down unicorns. Also, only supernaturals can hear and understand unicorns when they speak in animal form.
Unicorns are untameable. Even if a human successfully captured one, it is likely that without taking extreme measures to prevent escape the unicorn will somehow get away. They cannot be broken in or bred, and they definitely can’t breed with other horses. Only someone the unicorn trusts deeply can mount it.
Unicorns are very intelligent creatures and understand humans almost perfectly; however they lack a greater knowledge of the world or human morality which is what often drives them to become human. They are usually compassionate given their healing abilities. Despite being quite independent and shy, if someone does them a good deed they will remember and return the favour. They come across as quite shallow but it's generally because they are naive and view things with almost child-like simplicity.
Unicorns are generally solitary (unless with offspring), but sometimes live in pairs or small family groups. They are independent and sexually mature at twenty years old and breed once every ten years.
» ABILITIES AND MAGIC.
» Magical Immunity --/
Unicorns are immune to magic. Spells and curses don't affect them.
» Sixth Sense --/
They can sense emotions and intentions to some extent.
(e.g. whether someone is hunting them out of greed, and whether someone is innocent and friendly)
» Adept Healers --/
They are very powerful healers. Their horn glows when they use this magic, obviously it's not visible when they are human. Unless the injuries are very great, it is difficult for them exhaust this power. They are not immune to this magic and can be healed by themselves and other unicorns.
» Enhanced Sense in all Forms --/
Human forms have heightened senses.
» The Horn --/
The horn of a unicorn is said to be the antidote to any poison and cure any disease. It is also a potent ingredient in certain spells. It is very valuable, usually sold as a powder. Losing the horn results in horribly stunted powers, they may entirely lose their immunity to magic and ability to magically heal, even the ability to shapeshift if they're human.
» The Blood --/
Unicorn blood is also commonly used in spells. It aids the healing process when consumed and may extend one’s life.
» WEAKNESSES.
» Physically Weak --/
Unicorns are mortal and vulnerable to physical attack. They can be killed if a fatal blow is dealt too swiftly for them to heal themselves, or they are so badly injured that they don't have the strength to try.
» Non-Magical --/
They cannot cast spells or use magical attacks.
» Naïve --/
Younger unicorns are quite naive and very easily tricked.
» Humanity --/
Human unicorns are much weaker than normal unicorns.
» HUMAN FORM.
Unicorns are born as animals. However they are clearly sentient and often curious about the human world. They must make a deal with a powerful witch or demon in exchange for a spell that turns them into a kind of shifter. They become human, but can shift back into a unicorn at will (but still appearing as a horse to other humans). Physically and mentally they are just as capable as humans. The longer they spend as humans, the more their magic fades and the harder it is to shift until eventually they become normal but reasonably long-lived humans. Once a unicorn has been a human, they are forever changed. They are less innocent and naive, with a greater depth of emotion, and a few may not ever be content again with the basic animalistic life they led before. Different unicorns react in different ways to being human. Some can’t cope with it and change back almost immediately. Some give up their magic to stay human forever. Only a very small percentage of unicorns become human, and even less stick around for more than a year.
Human-unicorns are initially infertile but the longer they are human, the more compatible they are with other humans. Any child born from a unicorn and a non-unicorn is mortal and non-magical. A child born from two human-unicorn parents has a 50% chance of being able to shift into a unicorn when they are around twenty, but if they don’t use this power, the magic will fade. This is another reason unicorns may choose to become human. They can breed more frequently and produce more offspring but the chances of a unicorn child are only half.
A unicorn and Pegasus cross has a 25% chance of yielding an alicorn, a 25% chance of a unicorn, a 25% chance of a Pegasus or a 25% chance of a human.
Witches and demons will generally want part or all of the unicorn’s horn, or some of its blood in exchange for the transformation spell. Obviously the horn is a great sacrifice, the unicorn may be stuck permanently as a human once it changes.
Unicorns are very secretive, and the main rule of transformation is to never reveal what you are to anyone.
» HUNTING UNICORNS.
The most well known method of luring out a unicorn is with a virgin girl. Perhaps because a young girl is less terrifying than a huge, rough huntsman? At any rate, they are more likely to approach children than adults and women rather than men. They like being shown appreciation and respect.
“The unicorn, through its intemperance and not knowing how to control itself, for the love it bears to fair maidens forgets its ferocity and wildness; and laying aside all fear it will go up to a seated damsel and go to sleep in her lap, and thus the hunters take it” – Leonardo da Vinci.
Another method might be utilizing a werewolf/shifter to hunt a unicorn, although this runs the risk of harming the animal.
» APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOUR.
Unicorns look like a cross between a deer and a horse. They stand at about 14hh (56 inches at the shoulder) making them about the size of a small horse. Unicorns in the north are stockier and taller (some reaching to 16hh), southern unicorns are small and slender. They are much daintier than horses with more delicate face and legs, and have less rigid backs, making them more nimble and swift but also less ‘ride-able’. They are born dark, but go grey and ultimately white with age, although the odd unicorn stays black or brown. They might look like horses but they are not just horses with horns! They have cloven hooves, lion tails and feathery tufts on their fetlocks, hocks and chins. And, most importantly, they have a horn in the middle of their forehead. The horn varies greatly from animal to animal; it usually has a spiraling pattern and can be anything from a foot in length to a small spike. The horn colour is natural and appropriate to the coat. Their eyes are wide and innocent and can be any natural colour, and this stays with them in their human form. They have a deer-like, graceful, sometimes hesitant walk, but can gallop very quickly when necessary.
Humans cannot see a unicorn’s true form. If they are ever fortunate enough to see one, they will probably disregard it as a small horse. Only supernaturals can see or even stand a chance of tracking down unicorns. Also, only supernaturals can hear and understand unicorns when they speak in animal form.
Unicorns are untameable. Even if a human successfully captured one, it is likely that without taking extreme measures to prevent escape the unicorn will somehow get away. They cannot be broken in or bred, and they definitely can’t breed with other horses. Only someone the unicorn trusts deeply can mount it.
Unicorns are very intelligent creatures and understand humans almost perfectly; however they lack a greater knowledge of the world or human morality which is what often drives them to become human. They are usually compassionate given their healing abilities. Despite being quite independent and shy, if someone does them a good deed they will remember and return the favour. They come across as quite shallow but it's generally because they are naive and view things with almost child-like simplicity.
Unicorns are generally solitary (unless with offspring), but sometimes live in pairs or small family groups. They are independent and sexually mature at twenty years old and breed once every ten years.
» ABILITIES AND MAGIC.
» Magical Immunity --/
Unicorns are immune to magic. Spells and curses don't affect them.
» Sixth Sense --/
They can sense emotions and intentions to some extent.
(e.g. whether someone is hunting them out of greed, and whether someone is innocent and friendly)
» Adept Healers --/
They are very powerful healers. Their horn glows when they use this magic, obviously it's not visible when they are human. Unless the injuries are very great, it is difficult for them exhaust this power. They are not immune to this magic and can be healed by themselves and other unicorns.
» Enhanced Sense in all Forms --/
Human forms have heightened senses.
» The Horn --/
The horn of a unicorn is said to be the antidote to any poison and cure any disease. It is also a potent ingredient in certain spells. It is very valuable, usually sold as a powder. Losing the horn results in horribly stunted powers, they may entirely lose their immunity to magic and ability to magically heal, even the ability to shapeshift if they're human.
» The Blood --/
Unicorn blood is also commonly used in spells. It aids the healing process when consumed and may extend one’s life.
» WEAKNESSES.
» Physically Weak --/
Unicorns are mortal and vulnerable to physical attack. They can be killed if a fatal blow is dealt too swiftly for them to heal themselves, or they are so badly injured that they don't have the strength to try.
» Non-Magical --/
They cannot cast spells or use magical attacks.
» Naïve --/
Younger unicorns are quite naive and very easily tricked.
» Humanity --/
Human unicorns are much weaker than normal unicorns.
» HUMAN FORM.
Unicorns are born as animals. However they are clearly sentient and often curious about the human world. They must make a deal with a powerful witch or demon in exchange for a spell that turns them into a kind of shifter. They become human, but can shift back into a unicorn at will (but still appearing as a horse to other humans). Physically and mentally they are just as capable as humans. The longer they spend as humans, the more their magic fades and the harder it is to shift until eventually they become normal but reasonably long-lived humans. Once a unicorn has been a human, they are forever changed. They are less innocent and naive, with a greater depth of emotion, and a few may not ever be content again with the basic animalistic life they led before. Different unicorns react in different ways to being human. Some can’t cope with it and change back almost immediately. Some give up their magic to stay human forever. Only a very small percentage of unicorns become human, and even less stick around for more than a year.
Human-unicorns are initially infertile but the longer they are human, the more compatible they are with other humans. Any child born from a unicorn and a non-unicorn is mortal and non-magical. A child born from two human-unicorn parents has a 50% chance of being able to shift into a unicorn when they are around twenty, but if they don’t use this power, the magic will fade. This is another reason unicorns may choose to become human. They can breed more frequently and produce more offspring but the chances of a unicorn child are only half.
A unicorn and Pegasus cross has a 25% chance of yielding an alicorn, a 25% chance of a unicorn, a 25% chance of a Pegasus or a 25% chance of a human.
Witches and demons will generally want part or all of the unicorn’s horn, or some of its blood in exchange for the transformation spell. Obviously the horn is a great sacrifice, the unicorn may be stuck permanently as a human once it changes.
Unicorns are very secretive, and the main rule of transformation is to never reveal what you are to anyone.
» HUNTING UNICORNS.
The most well known method of luring out a unicorn is with a virgin girl. Perhaps because a young girl is less terrifying than a huge, rough huntsman? At any rate, they are more likely to approach children than adults and women rather than men. They like being shown appreciation and respect.
“The unicorn, through its intemperance and not knowing how to control itself, for the love it bears to fair maidens forgets its ferocity and wildness; and laying aside all fear it will go up to a seated damsel and go to sleep in her lap, and thus the hunters take it” – Leonardo da Vinci.
Another method might be utilizing a werewolf/shifter to hunt a unicorn, although this runs the risk of harming the animal.
