Pegasus

Out of all Auroran creatures, few are more puzzling than the so called Pegasus (plural Pegasi). These individuals resemble a miniature horse with four legs but sporting a rather impressive set of wings growing between the back and shoulders. Few grow to a height larger than a meter at the crux, but the proportionally huge wings can span over four meters if fully open. When not in flight, these wings fold over their backs forming what has been described as a “royal coat” which has turned them into favored pets and sigil beasts for several royal houses. Their bones being light and fairly flexible, pegasi have been known to crash into forest canopy without suffering incapacitating injuries this characteristic helps them keep their body weight very low, close to 25 kg.  Contrary to popular sayings Pegasi don’t gallop while in flight, but rather keep their legs locked very close to the body on the interest of reducing air drag and avoiding entanglements when feeding. Pegasi “Coat” is actually plumage, in addition to the flight feathers on their wings, pegasi are covered by extremely fine and isolating plumage that resembles hair. Ruthless hunters have found useless to try and preserve it for clothing, as feathers quickly drop from the dead skin. Pegasi are highly efficient flyers, capable of locking their wings in flight for almost effortless gliding, only needing to bat their wings once every minute to recover the little lost height while cruising, yet when needed they can also be fairly maneuverable as demonstrated by their way of feeding. Pegasi are naturally herbivorous, and needing enormous amounts of energy. They prefer sweet fruits and soft shelled nuts for their diet, a staple being the fruit of the Kilani tree, the Muln, since it grows among the top branches mostly out of reach fromtree-dwelling herbivores, Pegasi will fly down and scoop the fruits in a dive, then come back up before crashing, making them especially adept at exploiting this otherwise very difficult resource. Pegasi will also enthusiastically accept honey and sweet treesap if given the chance, and chew sugarcane or sweetroot when resting in plains, taking turns in groups to eat, while the rest watches for threats and guards the foals. Pegasi will settle on almost inaccessible plateaus for around 5 months each year, while the herd is rearing their young. This is a highly collective and social effort as pegasus pregnancy takes six months to complete and the Mare cannot fly during the last two or three months. As such she is dependent on her herd for food during this period and the month of obligated rearing that follows, during which the foals cannot fly, or feed on their own. After that period, and when the mare has recovered from giving birth, last year’s foals teach the newborns how to fly while adults search for food, until the entire herd is prime for flight, at which point they start looking for feeding grounds, preparing for the winter migration to the south.

​As the most heavily air aligned creatures known, it is no surprise that they are the most likely creatures to Awaken, but even then most still choose to live the carefree life of the migratory herds. The rare Awoken Pegasi that choose to live among other intelligent beings do so out of friendship or curiosity, and while they tend to have quick tempers they are highly empathic, and loyal to a fault. They will still hold a herd dynamic among their close friends, as they don’t see a distinction between them, and family.

Author is Lady Illia Ithilnen

8th chief naturalist of the Rivan chartered society of explorers

Original drawings were lost in the archives