Flora and Fauna
WILD ANIMALS
PLANTS
CREATURES
Initially, there weren't Pegasi in the territories of the Three Lakes. They have been brought along by Acornsong's people, and according to Windtime, they were created by their High Ones ancestors, who shaped the Unicorns to make them more alike to the creatures who popolated their homeplanet.Usually, Pegasi are slightly tall: from 5' until 5'3'' and their weight is over 200 kg. Females are usually a few shorter, and rounder, than males. Their wings are large, swan-like, just as their neck-posture. Their coat, as well as their feathers, is silky and short, and it can be of several colors: canon colors, all tones of black (grey, dark grey, light grey), white (snow white or isabella), red (copper, tawny, tan, auburn, light red, blond, sable) and brown (light brown, chestnut, dark brown, etc), plus rare tones as violet, dark blue, flame red or purple. Coat may be unicolor, bi-color, or splashed - with spots of several colors, for example white and violet. Same for feathers, that usually verge on unicolor, or very large spots of the dominant color in the coat. Their manes, and tails, follow the same rules of feathers, with one exception: every Pegasus will have unicolored mane. Usually they're lighter or darker than the main coat: when lighter, it can happen the mane and tail to be shiny.
Pegasi are kind hearted and gentle. They love music, dance, and singing (at sunrise and sunrise, they're known to neigh beautiful, trilling songs): as cubs, they fear lightning and loud noises, and even as asult they don't fight if they haven't a reason to - for example if their elf-friend is in danger. It's extremely rare to see an angry Pegasus, but when it happens, they will dangerously kick, and even step upon their enemy if they have a chance to. When a Pegasus dies, the whole tribe cries pearl tears while singing a particulary sad song: when an elf dies, his bond only cries, or even sings. The bond among elves and Pegasi is so strong that the animal soon or later ends up dying itself: he, or she, doesn't eat anymore, until death comes by hunger or fever. When a Pegasus's lifemate dies by accident, or old age, the other leaves the tribe for never coming back until his, or her death, if he, or she, is unbonded. If they have an elf-friend caring for them, they'll stay, but never lifemate again. Paradoxically, widowed Pegasi's affect for their bond will be even more deep. One of the Pegasi's main hobby is swimming: they use their legs, not their wings, just like giant and beautiful swans. It has been seen they're especially curious toward the Twinkles: Pegasi like their light.
Pretty soon after their arrival at Three Lakes, the Pegasi started breeding with their wild once-ancestors, unicorns: and by now pegasus-unicorns are common to see among the pack. Hybrids (named Alicorns) will stay with elves only if they've Pegasus blood from their mother: if their dame is a wild unicorn, there's no way the elves can keep her livin' with them. By now, the Alicorns of the tribe bond with elves just as full blooded Pegasi: yet, they're more aggressive, and eager to fight than their pureblood cousins. Hybrids are smaller than Pegasi but taller than Unicorns. Another difference among full blooded and half blooded Pegasi is the color: those who have Unicorn blood developed different, shiny coat, feathers, and mane colors. Those colors are: golden (usually light, and usually only for manes and tails), silver, pearl (pure pearl, or applied to bright colors as green, blue, magenta or pink), mother-of-pearl, and aquamarine. Hybrids have never splashed coats: they can be bi-colored with lighter spots on mud, neck and bellies, but no splashes.
Pegasi, and Alicorns, are egg-laying mammals. Also, they haven't a pack organization as the Gryphons: there's no leader among them, and no alpha couple. Every Pegasus can freely breed, and everyone cares for the cubs the same way. When a male wants to find his bride, he sings for courting the mares. It can be matter of days or even years, if no female in the tribe wants to accept him. If a mare is courted by more than one male, and she doesn't chose, they'll fight in front of her, and she'll usually accept the winner as her own mate. Fights are never bloody: just ritual. When Pegasi mate, they usually become - as their elfin friends - lifemates; the male builds a nest upon the branches of trees, where the female lays her eggs. Females can lay from one until seven eggs, that will open after an year; Pegasi cubs are usually very small and chirping. They can stand on their feet short after their birth, but they need mother's milk for around another year. When they're one month old, both parents begin teaching them how to fly: yet, they need to be at least three months old before being able to leave the nest for playing with others cubs. Fathers usually den some branches upon females nests, so that they can always shield the cubs if any danger is coming. When cubs are six months old, they reach the size of normal horse's cubs, and they can stay out of the nest even for weeks. When they're around one year old, they definitely abandon the family nest. One year later, they'll be followed by a new litter, and they'll be ready to have a family of their own, themselves. When there are cubs in the holt, the whole pack cares after them. If the mother dies, every pack's female will care after the infants.
Their diet is focused on grass, leaves, and every vegetable they can get: also, Pegasi cubs don't shed, instead of Gryphon chickens.
Pegasi usually live for 40 years, no more. Yet, there's a very popular legend among elves, telling of the "Greater Pegasi": those would be extremely rare, bigger animals, who are seen as respected heroes by the other Pegasi, and who are stronger, braver, and more intelligent than everyone else. Greater Pegasi are immortal, but also extremely rare: on the High Ones homeplanet, it could happen to see one of them leading an herd, yet the PegasusRiders haven't seen any before Battlefire's (who appears to have all requirements for being a Greater Pegasus, from her size until her courage). Some elves even think it's no more than a non-existent legend.
CATS
Just as Pegasi, cats have developed an united community, where there's no leader or alpha couple. Yet, there may be someone's authority ruling over one of the determined species.
Lions: the females usually have honey-gold colored fur. Males are darker, with auburn-copper manes. On the lion species, only one male can father cubs with every female in his territory: each year, younger males will try to defeat him, for getting their own right to breed. Lions are among the most aggressive cat species the CatRiders bond with: when lionesses have cubs, they keep away from each other, and they can easily attack males, or females, who approaches too much. Usually they have from one until three cubs: yet, the small lions are aggressive even among themselves, so not every of them reach adult age. Male lions don't like to hunt: they prefer spending their time under the trees, resting.
Longtooths: longtooths may be confused with lioness, but both males and females have extremely long canines, reaching their shoulders. Males longtooths are smaller, and usually darker than females. Their species attitudes look similar to lions: but among longtooths, every male can breed with how many females he wishes. Those who have harems should beware from younger ones. Aggressivity, especially developed in pregnant females, is the same of lions. Both males and females hunt: longtooths cubs can leave their den when they're ten months old, and at one year they already can breed.Tigers: tigers are not used to have lifemates. Couples spends short time together, and the cubs are raised mostly by their mother. When they become one year old, they leave the den, and the tigress can get a new family pretty soon after it. Out of families, males and females mostly ignore each others, hunting by themselves and don't paying attention to rivalities or challenges. The CatRiders bond with normal tigers (tan-furred), indian tiger (light red-furred) and siberian tiger (white with black flecks).
Ghepards: the tallest of the tribe's bonds, and the fastest. There's a strong affinity among ghepards and elfin hunters. They live in small groups with no chief: when females are pregnant, they hide in grottos and their own group brings them food and guards the den whey they need water. Cubs leave the mother pretty soon, yet usually groups are composed by brothers and sisters who remained together even reaching adult age. Cubs developed a white mane: they shed when they're around one year old, yet when they have the adult's coat, they're still a lot smaller. Adult size is reached around two years. Whjen the ghepards hunt, they're doubtless the fastest: yet, they can't run for too much long time, so they attack only when they're sure they can catch their prey. Among all the cats, their relationship with elves is the most deep and affextionate: ghepards female can even care after orphaned elfin babies, if needed.
Leopards: much like their ghepards cousin. Males have a white tailtip as distinguish mark for females. Leopards are not exactly a friendly species: they live as loners, and are very competitive. Mostly, they spent their life on trees, hanging from branches: after a hunt, they take their prey and escape on their shelters, where they can keep other leopards away. Females do the same with cubs, keeping them away from the rest of the pack until they'e two years old. Leopards's growth is slow: until three years old, they haven't an adult size and they can't breed. Among the pack's species, they're the most friendly towards elves: they like cuddles, and they're quiet-natured just as "our" domestic cats. Black furred leopards are named Panthers.
Lynxes: the lynxes are relatively smaller and sturdier than any other feline of thew tribe. Their fur is a gilded brown color, slightly spotted of black, with long sideburns locks and long, pointed ears, whom own locks are an auditory organ that allows them realizing the source of sounds. Their tail is short indeed, black-tipped, and the flecks around their eyes give to the lynxes a playful, almost harmless look. Nothing could be more wrong. Their short but firm legs make them awkward on the trees, but incredible fighters in hand-to-hand battles: there's no way to see a lynx losing balance. In short, they look a lot like their CatRiders friends! Moreover, the lynxes are experienced swimmers, and they can cross many meters swimming in a very short time. They're much loners, who don't live in packs and who are very aggressive toward any other feline. In the season of the Many Colors, when a male finds his mate, the two of them estabilish themselves together within the shelter of a cave: they are the only felines who remain together after mating. During the sixty days of pregnancy of the female, the parents hunt together, and together they'll care over the cubs (generally from two until four). The lynx cubs become indipendent around twenty months old: when the last of them abandoned the den, even the parents split up, and in a few day they won't recognize anymore each other. The lynx doesn't fear any other wild animal, except her ancestral enemy, the Wolf.
Pumas: just as lynxes, they're loners who enjoy living by themselves. The pumas are the most skilled fighters of the whole feline population: there are not so many animals able to win against an angry puma. They're fast, they're smart and they're clever: both, they're also very aggressive toward everything they don't know, especially when females are pregnant. The pumas' cubs are raised exclusively by their mother: they are thin, with black spotted furs and black paws, for the first five weeks of life. During her pregnancy, a puma female is often defended by the other females of the tribe: yet, when her cubs are born, she'll get more and more aggressive even toward elves. The mother spends one year with her cubs, one year in which she's ready to die for their safety. This doesn't happen often - Wolves, Boars, Bears, Raptors and even Gryphons can't hope to win againt a puma fighting for her cubs - but if she gets killed by something as a Swordfeet or a group of humans, the cubs will remain defensless. This is very dangerous, because when the female is pregnant, she hides herself from everyone, even the CatRiders, and nobody can see where the cubs are. Without their mother, the cubs can only hope to be rescued and adopted by a wandering female: yet, they're an easy prey for every carnivorous, and when they're very young they're known to meow a lot, so that enemies can spot them soon. Of six orphaned cubs, just two reach adult age.
Cats: these are used to be seen as "pets" of the CatRiders. They live in their den, they're fed by their owner and they're loved and protected, but they are not bonds. "Cats" usually are small sized felines: wild cats, caracals, ocelots, and servals. During the hunts, they eat after the "big sized" cousins. Because of their small size and their dignified ways, they're not seen as dangers by the others felines, and that's rare to see them fighting. Yet, they must beware pregnant females, who are aggressive toward every kind of animal, either big or small sized.
As told above, the cats don't obey to a certain leader: yet, there's a chief figure that has the right of eating before everyone else, and who must lead them in safety in case of danger. This "chief" can belong to any breed: each Sun Glory season, he or she will be challenged until someone will be able to earn that role, yet those fights are rarely bloody.
During an hunt, lionesses, tigers, pumas, leopards and ghepards are the first to attack at a sign of the presumed chief: lynxes usually come when someone is needed to kill not to chase the prey. Anyways, they have no right to eat until the chief doesn't do it himself. After he leaves the prey, they act toward meat as they'd do in our real life: for example, the lion eats before lionesses, while the leopard will try to bring his or her food away from the rest of the pack, and so on. Pregnant females are allowed to hunt by themselves, whatever their breed is.
GRYPHONS
The gryphons have the head, the wings and the anterior legs of a giant eagle, the ears of a cat, and the back legs and the tail of a lion. They are bigger than a Pegasus, around 5'2'' for males and 5'3'' for females, even if in case of giantism, they can reach a size of 5'5''. Their head, anterior legs, pointed ears and wings are covered with feathers, whom colors are mainly brown, black, tawny, grey, silvery white and blond: the fur that covers the back legs and the tail is uniformed to the feathers' color. Gryphons don't have spotted or bi-colored furs: in case of different colored wings, or ears, or fur, this means the gryphon has a difect of pigmentation. Their legs are wrinkled and bronzy, as the eagles' own: the claws colors changes during the years from transparent until slate black. The big, deep and fierce eyes are usually dark: colors as blue or green are very rare. Gryphons are able to spot a bug in the snow, and they have the famous nighttime sight of owls (and cats), so that they can hunt even in the darkness. Beside, as every raptor, they have a third, very thin eyelid, that covers and protect their eyes in case of fightsA few animals can fly as fast as they do: a gryphon can climb up to six thousand meters, and reach the speed of ninety hourly kilometers. This speed flight is especially useful for loners or animals who abandoned the pack, as they are forced to cross many meters before finding food. Also, when they hunt, they're as silent as owls, and a prey can't realize they're coming until they don't grab it with their talons. Yet, their big size sometimes troubles them, because sun reflects their shadow on the ground, so that preys can see it. So, the Gryphons usually prefer hunting among trees, or however in the darkness, where the sunlight can't reveal their presence.
Gryphons are carnivorous. They eat especially other birds, and small mammals as wild cats, hares, foxes, or marmots: numerous packs prefer more substantial preys as Pegasi, Wolves,, big felines, wild boars and bucks. Nevertheless, attacking these animals is difficult, because a hornblow of a deer, or a Pegasus's kick, can break a wing, or even worse the skull, of a Gryphon. Usually, if they're chasing big preys, the pack will strike them with their wings until they'll fall in a canyon, or they'll smash against rocks. Because of their massive build, gryphons need at least 45 kilos food to be satisfied: they can fast for different days without any problem, but they'll need a successful hunt to recover. After every meal, the gryphons vomit the stuffings: some little balls of bones, fur, feathers and claws belonging to their preys, stuff they have not been able to properly digest. As among lions, females are usually best hunters than males.
In the pack, only the alpha male can breed: but with the danferous decrease of gryphons caused by the expansion of humans all through the world, also the beta couple have obtained that right. The gryphons mate in the Many Colors season: the alpha male and the alpha female fly together, describing big ellipses in the sky, they approach, they get far, and they play with branches or small meat's pieces. These rites are done at night, and the GryphonRiders can see the flying gryphons' silhouettes standing against the moonlight: the next morning, the female will already have found an hollow where she'll lay her eggs, and she'll help the male building a circular and breadth nest, that will be expanded by the couple in the following years. The outside is formed by branches and leaves that both gryphons have picked up, and the inside is lined with musk, stuffings and even feathers that the female picks away from herself. If every stranger, or even packmate, approaches too much to the nest, the two gryphons can abandon it and leave the just laid eggs dying. Gryphons' eggs are usually two, sometimes one, and rarely three: they're small, usually white or light brown colored with red spots. They'll be hatched by the female (and sometimes by the male) for 42 days. At birth, the Gryphons chicks are small-sized, covered by a pure white down and a light, same colored fur. They need to be constantly fed by their parents, and especially they need protection from enemies, since they're totally defenseless. During their infancy, their mother stays in the nest: the father flies around the area and is extremely susceptible toward intruders, even other gryphons of his own pack. In a gryphon's brood, one of the young chicks is often stronger than the others, especially when they were hatched to a few days of distance from each other, or when the elder is a female - among gryphons, they are stronger and bigger than males. Injustices become the daily fate of the weaker one, who can even be killed and eaten by his brothers in case of famine. Younger chicks are particularly harmless between the second and the fifht week of life.
When they're six or eight weeks old, the chicks shed the livery, assuming a plumage and a coloration that they'll maintain for their whole life. Despite this, the feathers' color is still dark and shows transparent lionine spots, that together with some white feathered locks, identify them as young ones. Only at the age of two years they'll get the plumage and the aspect of adult gryphons. The young chicks develop very quickly in their life: in the first months of their life, they learn to care for themselves, their hygiene, and they play with pebbles, stuffings, or small branches. Sometimes, they reach the aerie's edge, and here they attempt to shake their wings trying to fly, or emiting soft meows that will be identified, later, with imposing roars. When they're twelve weeks old, the parents push them out of the nest for their first flight: the youths can fly for some hundred meters with the assistance of their mother, but they'll end up falling, as chicks need to be at least one year old for making their flight a bit more dignified. When they're nine, ten months old, they already begin following their parents in hunts: and as long as they catch a prey, they're immediately kicked from the nest. Ever since, the now-indipendent young gryphons will be seen by their parents as members of their pack, not as their children anymore.
Every year, the younger gryphons challenge the alpha couple. If they will win, they'll take their place getting the right to breed. Otherwise they can return in the rest of the pack, or choose to become the "beta" of the group and the only other gryphons who have right to have a family. Usually gryphons are very proud, and so it's not easy to see one of them accepting the second opportunity, also because to become the beta male (or female) means challenging the actual beta gryphon in the tribe, and in case of failure, the challenger is degraded to the worst rank, omega. Fights for supremacy are usually very violent: if the loser doesn't show his troat in sign of subjugation, the winner, crazily angry, can even kill him. Rarely a male and a female challenge the alpha couple together: usually, if a male wins a challenge, he will become the mate of the actual alpha female until she won't be defeated herself, and vice versa. Females are generally most sweet and maternal than males, in the gryphons society: when chicks are five months old, the previous alpha females can care for them while their mother is out hunting. Accordingly, between them there's a stronger bond than among males, and their fights are generally less violent, never ending with the kill of one of the challengers. Yet, gryphon females are extremely susceptible toward the role of alpha, or beta, that they play: if a low-ranked female of the pack dares to lay her own eggs, the alpha and beta female can abruptly kill her and her chicks.
UNICORNS
Even if some of them have been flesh-shaped by the first High Ones into Pegasi, there are still a few Unicorns living on this world. Yet, the dangerous humans' expansion mixed with the risks of wild life, so their number has been more and more decreasing. Right now, the survived Unicorns in the Three Lakes territory are only fifteen, who have been forced by the circumstances to live together in a small herd, despite their loners' attitudes.Unicorns are very small sized. At 4'7'', they're as tall as elves, compared to the Pegasi's 5': yet, they're elegant, graceful, and even more nice-looking than their bigger cousins, with the build of a small deer. Their hooves are glittering gold or shiny silver, just as their horn - which color can even be pearlescent dark blue or pink. Unicorns' fur is usually pearl white, pale mother-of-pearl, or silvery: pearlescent blond and aquamarine is rare. Also, they can have only one color in their fur; there has never been, and there will never be, a bi-colored unicorn, or an unicorn with spots. Their mane and shaggy lionine tail colors depend mostly from their coat: pure white, siver or gold manes for pearl fur, light strawberry whitepink matching with mother-of-pearl fur, gilded brown for blond Unicorns, and glowing pale blue for aquamarine ones. 300 years old males develop a short goat-like bear, that will get more and more shaggy in a few years: also their tailfur, initially lanky, smooth and thin, adorned by a longer lock on the tip, becomes shaggy in the aging process, changing its look from lionine until well developed equine. Females' horn is usually rounder and shorter than males', and less brilliant, ivory-colored. Ever since they started breeding with Pegasi, there have been new unicorn-like animals in the wood: yet, these are winged (Alicorns), and usually don't reach the size of full blooded ones, being smaller than Pegasi and taller than Unicorns - except some "giant" ones. Yet, these hybrids don't live with the herd. If their mother is a Pegasus, they'll live with elves: if they have been mothered by an Unicorn, they stay with her only until they're one year old, and ever since they leave, following the lonesome ancestral personality of their breeed.
Unicorns are shy, quiet-natured, and gentle. When the first High Ones landed in this planet, they nearly cried of joy because they shared a lot with these animals personalities: both seeked a safe place where to live, and both had no interested in harming someone else. Among all the animals, Unicorns are the most sensitive and kind. Even when chased by carnivorous as wolves, gryphons, or felines, they'll never be the firs to harm: and when forced to defend themselves, they always try to scare not to wound. If there's a wounded animal, elf, troll, human, or even plant, the unicorns can't stand it, and they'll do their best to help him, her, or it. Yet, despite they're loyal and generous, they're also indipendent and rarely befriend with other animals except their own herd. Usually they don't approach to nothing and nobody if there's no need of aid, and they don't like being approached either. If an elf or whatever will approach to them though, they'll not attack, just try to escape.
Unicorns are, just like elves, immortal. There's only one thing that can kill them; hatred. They can't bear it, and if an hating, angry or jealous creature will step in front of them, they'll let out a cry of pure despair. If they'd hate someone themselves, they'd istantly die, their gentle soul killed by that awful feeling: that's the reason why Unicorns can't hate. You can kill the whole herd in front of one of them, and he or she will never hate you: just cry because of your soul. Needless to say they often cry for the Three Lakes elves.
Unicorns have a lot of gifts and powers that make them special among other animals. First of all, the innate ability of reading in the heart and mind of every creature: looking in your eyes, unicorns immediately can distinguish the truth from the lie, and study your intentions before approaching. Another particularity is represented by the radar that allows them knowing every detail of the surrounding areas without needing to see it. This isn't a sonorus radar as those bats and dolphins have: this power originates from the mind of the unicorn, a sort of mental sonar that nobody can hear but the unicorn himself. So the animals can recognize themselves in the herd, but they can also perceive the presence of enemies, or excessive near elves and humans, as this radar has an ample variety of different vibrations, and each of them has a correspondent meaning. This power is close to the unicorns' ability of disappearance: not a simple camouflage (as chameleon's), but a morph of their DNA consistence. If unicorns are approached to carnivorous, they'll become not only invisible, but also inconsistent: at the same way, if an elf or another creature they don't know approaches too much, they'll disappear and then study his or her mind, immediately realizing if he or she is an harmless creature or a potential danger. Unicorn females have the power of teletransporting ("to jink", as some fans of a certain Whitehaired Stardaughter in ElfQuest would say): they can disappear from a clearing and reappear, an istant later, in front of a lake. But the most important power of the unicorn is certainly represented by his horn. This means immediate healing from any poison, illness or wound, both physic and psychic. For this reason, the fifteen unicorns of the Three Lakes have survived all these years: if one of them is hurt, or poisoned, a touch of horn is enough to recover him or her, or at loeast to assuage his or her pain. Of course, if an unicorn is attacked by wolves and found three days later by the herd, there's nothing they can do but heal his wounds, not bringing him back to life: but in case of a snake's bite, they can quickly heal themselves, even if they're already facing death. Unicorns also use their healing powers to purify the water and the grass they eat: there's no way of poisoning them. And last, but not least, unicorns can send. There's a constant telepathic contact in the herd, and it allows unicorns to communicate with each other without revealing their presence to enemies. Unicorns could communicate with elves as well, but their sending is extremely simpler than elfin one, and any elf would translate it not in precise meanings, but in feelings as joy, terror, or pain.
When unicorns mate, they'll remain together for their whole lifespan. Yet, if one of the two is murdered, the other will try an healing, and in case of failing he or she will suicide - and the whole tribe is known to mourn this tragedies for several years. A stag can already breed when he's 300 years old, while mares need to be at least 500 before mothering their first cub. Courtship among Unicorns is much like among birds: the stallion tries to catch the attention of females with telepathic songs that he'll send to every mare that walks in front of him. Yet, his sendings will reach only one mind. Unicorns lifemating is much like Recognition, as the male sends out his soul's call until he finds another soul who answers him. The two new lifemates will stay far from the herd during the female's pregnancy: yet, the others Unicorns may see them running together, or playing hide-and-seek. For three years, the male will defend his lifemate, getting more and more protective toward her and her unborn cub. On the last full moon night before the birth, the mare will usually send the stag back to the herd, and ever since she'll remain alone. For giving birth, Unicorns usually seek a sheltered place where they're safe from enemies and where in the meanwhile they can keep visibility in every direction. The cub usually is born three days after the full moon: Unicorns don't mother more than one child, who is usually as proportionated to his mother as a real life horse cub. Mother and cub will remain together for 50 years in which she'll never leave him: every time she'll need eating or drinking, the cub will simply become invisible. After this, they'll return at the herd, where the young unicorn will remain close to his mother until reaching 100 years old. At this age they're still too much young for breeding, but they can already have a den of their own. Beside, the parents will remain together for their whole life, buyt they won't have other cubs, as unicorns soulmating is even more rare than Recognition. On the current status, a cub every 2000 years would already mean their population is increasing.
Young unicorns are frisky, happy-go-lucky, and relatively less shy than adult ones. They're known to be curious toward phoenixes, to jump over sleeping dragons or gryphons, and even to play jokes on elves, if they have a chance to. Adult unicorns are careful and baby unicorns are always under their mother's eyes, yet the courage and the rashness of the 100 years old cubs is one of the reason of the lack of unicorns in the world. There are few soulmating and few childbirths, but a lot of youths' deaths. Fifteen is a number unicorns have kept for several millennia, and by now they're dangerously near extinction.
PHOENIXES
There are some phoenixes living in the Three Lakes territory: but nobody know exactly where they live, as these animals love to change their abode every now and then.Phoenixes have the same sixe of adult eagles: females are slightly smaller than males, but it is the only difference among them, as both have the same aspect and the same livery. Their feathers are long, soft, of a shiny brill bright red and gold color, and they're flaming: each feather is a small fire spark, yet the phoenixes never burn. The reason of this resistance seem to be connected to a short of protection, projected by the mind of the bird around him or herself, and that slowly loses vigor in the aging process. Their beak is hooked and gilded, just as their legs: tail feathers are longer than the same phoenix, well developed, vaguely similar to the quetzal's, and of a very deep crimson color. Claws are jet black in young phoenixes, and can fade to dark slate gray in elders.
Phoenixes are kind, virtuous and graceful birds. They don't harm nobody and despite their raptorine look, they aren't carnivorous: they eat dewdrops only. Phoenixes share several things with unicorns; they can't see a wounded or sad creature, and they're loners. And when I say loners, I mean "loners" the worse way! Each phoenix does not even know there are others of his or her same kind: their territories are usually fairly large, so that they never happen to bump into each other. Mostly these birds have a solitary character and enjoy solitude, but another main reason of their loneliness may be phoenixes don't reproduce. Males don't mate and females don't lay eggs: but when death time is on the way, the old Phoenixes build a woods nest, and then burn it with their own feathers. At this time, the psychic shelter around them falls, and the bird burns with the nest, consumed by his or her own flames. Soon there's no more than a pile of ashes, from which suddenly a new Phoenix arises. Chicks are usually wrinkled, with soft reddish plume and large beaks: but in less than a week they'll be able to walk by themselves, and at one year old they will be showing a brand new livery. Baby phoenixes don't need a parent or a nurse to guard them: soon after birth, they can already provide their own food, and at six weeks they'll attempt their first flight. Usually, a phoenix's life lastes 50 years.
Another thing they share with unicorns is their power: a Phoenix's tear can heal every wound, grab away those who are in death's arms, and destruct poison. Unfortunately, a phoenix can't judge what is right or what is wrong: so they can heal a wounded dragon who'll eat them pretty soon after recovering. For this reason they usually avoid every other animal, and they don't show themselves willingly.
Even if you can't see a Phoenix, you will probably hear him, or her, if you're near enough. Each day, at dawn, the Phoenix let out a sweet, enchanting and melodious song with no words but just simple and expressive music. When you hear a Phoenix singing, you forget everything around even if you're in the middle of a battle: by this reason, the fire bird is deeply hated by the CatRiders. The Tramps are extremely scared by Phoenixes: they think their songs can bewitch the mind and forever kidnap your soul. A Tramp will never den where a Phoenix flies.
DRAGONS
Dragons, Swoordfeet and Giant Snakes probably share the same ancestors of every other reptile on this world: yet, these three are the only big-sized ones. But during the years, those animals developed totally different characteristic: giant snakes may still be familiar to lizzards or small sized snakes, but swordfeet have become dinosaurs-like bipeds, and Dragons have even changed their own blood. If a swordfoot or a snake still need to stay under the sun because of their cold blood that would risk to kill them for hypothermia, dragons are warm-blooded animals who can live night and day, as their blood automatically adapts to every climate.Dragons are usually very big sized: around one meters tall, and five meters long, with ten meters of wingspan. Their scales are tough, shiny and brilliant: dragons care a lot for personal hygiene, and their main hobby is keeping their scales clean and tidy. The whole dragon's back, legs, neck, tail and head is totally covered by this "natural shelter" that mades them pratically unassaible: yet, their abdomen and troath is soft and defenceless, and stabbing his chest is the actually the only way to kill a dragon. Yet, that's extremely difficult, because these animals are intelligent and they'll always beware from showing troath, or losing balance. Our dragons' scales may be: blue (shiny cobalt or dark blue), green (emerald), fire-red (or crimson), and pearlescent white (or even silver). I know real dragons may have other colors, but not in Three Lakes (mostly because dragons are nearly estinct from the world, and the few survived can't have a different color for each dragon). The defenceless troath and abdomen are of a lighter tone of the main color: light blue for blue dragons and so on. Pearl unicorns are always unicolor. Their bat-like wings are usually covered by darker scales on the superior side, and a delicate pale colored membrane on the lower side. Dragons can easily get their wings wounded during hunts, but their skin is rather tough, so that they quickly recover. Some dragons may have long, dark black spikes upon their tail as additional weapon.
Dragon females usually have a smaller build than males (one meter tall, and three meters long), even if their wingspan does not considerably changes. Their scales are paler, and their colors are less brilliant: yet, even if their fire breath is less powerful than males, females' fangs are longer (twenty centimeters) and of a bright silver color (males' fangs are usually ivory-colored). A male dragon can be frowning, severe and nearly grotesque, but females, despite their odd aspect, possess a refined dignity, and true ladies' attitudes, that reassure instead of scaring. Another difference are the horns: the scales on the males' heads are evolved in two up-tilted horns, firmly attached at the skulls bases. Beside, over 1000 years old males have developed a short, spikey dark green beard upon their chin.
Dragons are carnivorous, but just as lions, the females are the ones who hunt and bring food to the males. When dragons hunt, they use their fire breath for trapping not killing the prey: they deeply dislike burned meat, and even if it may sound odd, dragons have a very delicate stomach: eating something else than raw meat and water may cause extremely grave consequences, or even death the worse way. There's no limit to the quality of meat dragons can eat though: every animal, from elves until humans, from unicorns until Swordfeet (yes, even swordfeet) is a potential food.
Dragons have a very personal concept of family. In the Many Colors season, males exhibit spitting fire as distant as possible, and they're extremely aggressive toward the other dragons. If a female shows interest in more than one male, they'll fight against each other in battles that are often letal. Only when one male has killed all the others suitors, the female accepts his courtship. Both, the two dragons effect some acrobatic flights, and sing a long, melodious song that warns the other animals to stay far. For three days, they'll live, hunt and sing together: then, the male will look for a comfortable rock, or tree, where to extabilish his family, and the female will fly for meters and meters, searching for a volcano. Here, she'll den among the rocks and lay her eggs: for three months, she'll never see her lifemate again. Hatching dragons are extremely protective of their eggs: even if they don't leave their nest, they'll destruct everything and everyone who approaches too much. Dragons eggs are usually as big as ostrich's own: when layed, they're amber-colored, but after the second month of incubation they'll assume a pure gold livery. When the small dragon inside is ready to birth, he or she breaks the shell with a tailbow, or scraping it off with the horns in case of males. At birth, the cubs are unable to adapt their body temperature, and for this reason the mother welcomes them spitting fire next to her nest. Imprinting will lead them to follow her example, and soon they'll get their own fire breath. Young dragons can already fly at birth: soon after every of them has left his or her egg, the mother leads them back to the territory where she found her mate. Meanwhile, the male has build a comfortable shelter in the darkness, while he has already hosted his (and her) parents and siblings. The whole family will never leave this nest: here the young dragons will grown up, being trained by their relatives, for over a century. Then, they'll look for a mate of their own, but instead of building their own nest during her hatching, they'll simply wait her return at their parent's abode. That's the reason why dragons families are very numerous, even if these animals don't live in a true pack organization.
Dragons are immortals, yet they're as rare as Unicorns: the violent fights in the courtship season are the main reason of their lack of population, yet reproducing is not easy among them. When females lay their eggs, despite all their cares and love, it frequently happens to see the shell never opening: a female can lay eggs for thirty eyes, without seeing not even one baby dragon's birth.
BLOODWORMS: giant leeches, they're very rare on the Three Lakes territory. Mostly, animals and elves fear them: The CatRiders chieftess Snowcry is known to eat Bloodworms meat in special occasions.
BRISTLEBOAR: it resembles a lot the domestic pig, but their body is covered by a slate (males) or brown (females) spikey fur. Wild boars lifespan is short, only ten years. Much loners, they can cross long distances looking for food. Mainly they're herbivorous, but they can also eat some invertebrates and small sized vertebrates as mices. Piglets are very small, with spotted honey-colored fur: from the birth season (at the beginning of the Many Colors), females will become extremely aggressive toward intruders. Wild boars are very dangerous because of their imponent tusks: pups can be victims of bears and raptors, while the only danger for adults is represented by wolves, swordfeet and dragons. .
LEATHERWINGS: they're the equivalent of Earth's bats. They are insects-eating animals who mostly live in the Trolls cave. Leatherwings firmly glab on their shelter's roof and here they hang down-headed, in a big furry group. Very friendly animals, fifty of them can live in the same place. They usually have a dark colored livery, and wings united by a dragon's-like membrane. Leatherwings breed in the Getting Golden season, but both males and females fall in lethargy during the Frozen Snow, so their cubs are born only around the Sun Glory season. Leatherwings females usually mother only one cub for year: their lifespan is about 16 years, but they compensate it as cubs are self-sufficient 37 days afterbirth. These animals prefer obscurity: during the day, they camp in their dens and they only hunt at night. They're the most frequent victims of raptors.
CHAMELEONS: these small reptiles are extremely popular in the Three Lakes. They have managed to survive from predators as they can change their skintone adapting it to the ground in which they move. Chameleons usually eat Insects.
CROCODILIANS: there were a few Crocodilians when Snowcry became chieftess. Yet, they are exinct by now: killed by humans expansions, but mostly by the Sworfeet and the Dragons.
CROWS: Crows are friends of the Tramps, and carcase-eating birds. Together with foxes, they're used to eat the rest of wolves or bears hunts.
DEERS: Very common in the Three Lakes, are the Threehorns, the BlackNecks and the White Tails. Deers are mammals and herbivorous: even if they don't befriend unicorns, the two species are known to live in short distances from each other. Males have well developed horns, that they shed every year of their life: their coat color is usually brown, darker or paler according to the different breeds. Usually, deers live in big groups leader by a stallion: yet, they accept other males in they group, and one of those will take the leadership when the chief will die. Females usually mother one cub: that's however the maximum number of deer cubs who can reach adult age on a litter. They're almost never aggressive, and calm. Deers are the major food for any carnivorous in the Three Lakes.
FIN BACKS: very rare. Fin Backs are the favourite food of Swordfeet, and their number has been slowly decreasing. Yet, they can be seen somewhere around the holts' area.
FOXES: small sized, foxes may be blue or red colored. The first breed is usually smaller, with gray-bluish fur and less visible fur markings. Red foxes are usually copper-furred. In both species, vixens are smaller and paler than foxes. These small animals are very clever and intelligent: when they can't find food, they usually steal from other animals as wolves or dragons: also, when they're in danger, they usually act as if they'd be died until the enemy has not fled, because they're not very fast when running. Red foxes are loners: family groups are composed by a fox, a vixen, their cubs and their cubs' eventual mates. Blue foxes can live in small packs. These animals are the most frequent victims of foaming sickness.
GIANT SNAKES: extremely long pitons. These snakes can change their skincolor, just as Chameleons: they're not poisonus, but they kill their victim by grinding it. They live on trees and are especially feared by the PegasusRiders.
INSECTS: At Three Lakes, you can find Butterflies, Fireflies, Mosquitos, Bees, Ants, GrassHoppers, Mantis, Fleas, Beetles, and Ladyburgs. Insect are the favourite food of Spiders and Chameleons
MOLES: moles live underground, and other animals rarely can see them. Yet, they're food for Crows, Foxes and Wolves. Mostly they eat worms, but they can be caught when they leave their holes, looking for food.
MOUSES: mouses are loners. They represent the cat's favourite prey, and a toy for cat cubs. Their ancestral enemy is the wild cat as well as the fox. On the Three Lakes territory, you can find normal and country mouse (these last ones are smaller, with a blondish fur, and they resemble hamsters)
PORCUPINES: those spikey, small animals are usually a bad prey for elves, yet extremely useful as they kill poisonus snakes. Porcupines are loner animals, and they don't approach other creatures too much. They're shy, peaceful, and usually quiet.
RAPTORS: hawks, and eagles. The most commons are Royal Eagle and Peregrine Hawk. They are predators, and their favourite preys are Moles, ravvits, porcupines, squirrels and mices.
RAVVITS: wild rabbits. They're shy, smart, and difficult to chase.
SHELLBACKS: Armadillos are very popular in this territories. They're known to be a good prey for carnivorous, yet they're extremely clever, and if attacked they'll close down as porcupines, showing their tough, unbreakable back to predators.
SPIDERS: both Giant and Small spiders are very common in the holt grounds. Giant Spiders are carnivorous, small Spiders are known to eat Insects. They usually den on trees: giant spiders can be food for Snakes.
SQUIRRELS: squirrels are seen as preys from Gryphon and CatRiders, yet they're "pets" for the PegasusRiders elves. In the Frozen Snow season, they became lethargic just like bears: they never leave their dens, and they survive eating the food they gained in the year.
SNAKES: small sized snakes. Those of our holt are vipers ONLY, so no cobra or coral snake. Bright green colored, they hide among the grass waiting for their prey to come. Snakes are deadly enemies with porcupines. Small snakes are poisonus
SWORDFEET: very common. Swordfeet are probably far-related cousins of Dragons, yet the two species can even eat each other, if they have a chance to. Swordfeets may be dragons that have developed on ground, losing wings and getting a more tyrannosaurus-like look. They're the most terrible predators of the world, and a potential danger for every living creature. Allos, just as dragons, have a strong considerations of family: the female leaves the male after mating, but she and her sons usually remain together all their life. Swordfeet lifespan is 60 years
TREEWEE: these small beasts are very rare, because they're often scared by everything, and totally harmless in front of dangers. One of the favourite preys of baby dragons, Treewees share a special bond with Phoenixes, whom gentle nature is always ready to defend them.
WOLVES: very common. They live in packs, and some loners may join them in the Frozen Snow seasons. Here, wolves don't bond with elves. Their pack organization is somehow like the Gryphons, as only the alpha couple can reproduce. When hunting, they must defend their preys from foxes and crows, who are used to steal carcases. The wolf is the only animal who can win against a Lynx. They're usually not dangerous toward elves but toward humans.
Preservers are fairylike, big eyed creatures native of the High Ones homeplanet: they arrived on the World of Two Moons following the elfin expansion in the space, brought by the Firstcomers. Preservers are sentient, yet they have a different intelligence from elves: they're carefree, they're funny, they're babbling, and they are known to name everything as "highthing". Preservers are sexless, they don't reproduce, and there's no way to kill them: nevertheless, there isn't any of them in the Three Lakes territory. The First High Ones, who led the PegasusRiders in relatively recent times, lost their Preservers after landing on their world: and those who arrived with Timmain's group have been found lately by Cutter in the canon ElfQuest storyline. GryphonRiders, and CatRiders, ignore the existence of the Preservers: too many generations have passed between them and their High Ones ancestors, for remembering if the FirstComers ever spoke about their winged friends. The PegasusRiders may know something, instead: Windtime, MoonGem, and Mistflower are direct sons (or grandsons) of the Firstborns of the High Ones, so they can likely remember hearing (or even receiving mental images) about the Preservers. However, by now they think the Preservers are gone, or extinct: and the ancients stories are no more than enchanting legends.
TWINKLES
The PegasusRiders have a proof of the Preservers existence, once upon a time. The first High Ones who landed on this world never knew another group of their same kind would have arrived years later: they missed their native homeplanet, yet they weren't ready to return. So they simply adapted as many things as they could in their new lifestyle. They shaped the Unicorns into Pegasi, and a same destiny was reserved to fire and dragonflies. Those small insects were silent and quiet, just like elves: so they united characteristics of both, and made them looking like the Preservers they had lost.Basically, there are a lot of difference among Preserves and Twinkles though. These last creatures are very small sized: they can easily ride a snail and sit inside flowers. Twinkles can have several skintones: blue, violet, silver, pink, green, yellow, golden and crimson; their eyes are usually different combinations of these colors. Differently from Preservers, they have Dragonflies' thin, transparent wings, and they're as bright as Fireflies. Each twinkle's light has the same color of its skin.
Twinkles are less sentient than Preservers: they can't speak and they don't really interact with elves. Their main activity is flying around, enlightening the trees and dancing when they hear music. Yet, even if they don't speak, they can be understood according to their behaviour. Glowing twinkles are usually merry and joyful: if their light is pale, this mean they're sad, or tired. When they're angry, they let out a series of small thistles, and they beat their wings frequently: and when their light flashes, that's because they're scared by something. Usually however, they're in happy and sunny mood.
Twinkles don't spit wrapstuff as Preservers do, yet they know how to defend themselves, and their elfin friends: when an enemy approaches too much, they fly around his or head head until he or she gets an headcache. Usually, that's enough to confuse the enemy and let the PegasusRiders free to counter-attack.
Differently from Preservers, they're not immortal. Twinkles will die if they get their wings cut away: st the same way, a particulary strong anti-healing blow can kill them, as they're - just like Phoenixes unable to bear pain. Twinkles are very sensitive toward elves behaviour as well. If an elf shouts often or is seen angry, they'll never be able to stay around him or her. That's the reason why they only live in the Second Lake territory.
Bushes
Dreamberries bushes
Ferns
Flowers
Herbs
Lichens
Moss
Oaks
Puckernuts
Redwoods
Roots
Vines
Weeds
Go-back at the About the Holt page.