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Hippocamp Mare (Left) and Stallion (Right)
For at least as longs as humans have had
imaginations, tales of wondrous and bizarre creatures from
beneath the waves have been told. The hippocampus, or classical sea horse, is
just one well-known example of a long list of sea creatures, following
an old belief that the sea held equivalents of every animal on
land. Horses are associated with water in many cultures, said to
be a gift from the sea god Poseidon in Greco-Roman mythology, so
perhaps the hippocampus began as a symbolic representation of that
association. They have appeared in literature, heraldry, and art
throughout the ages.
Origins
Hippocampi are an
ancient species, possibly predating the land horse. An ancient
merfolk legend tells of how the sea gods once drove out a herd of
hippocampi who destroyed their sacred gardens, cursing them to walk on
four legs in the "thin water realm" beyond the ocean.
Underwater beings such as the merfolk have used hippocampi for at least as
long as land-dwellers have harnessed the horse.
The striped
hippocampus, offered here, is a domestic version of the wild hippocampus,
developed by the merfolk of the southern Goldenwave Ocean to the east of
Tirialle's mainland. Striped hippocami are smaller and friendlier than their
wild cousins, bred for light work and being about the size of a large land
pony. As in many wild species, the striped hippocampus stallions
can be identified by their beards and larger fetlock-fins than the
females.
Habitat
Hippocampi are
strictly marine, or saltwater, creatures, unable to tolerate more than brief
exposure to fresh water. Wild species occur from the polar ice caps to equatorial seas, their appearance and size
varying wildly in that range. The smallest on record, the tropical
glassfin hippocampus, is rarely longer than a few inches, while the
largest, the rare mammoth hippocampus, is more than three times larger than the
largest land-dwelling draft horse. The striped hippocampi of Skyhaven come
from subtropical seas. They have both lungs and gills,
capable of breathing air and water. During high tide they sometimes
come quite close to land, occasionally basking at the edge of the surf.
Feeding
Preferring relatively shallow, sunlit waters, hippocampi graze on seaweed, sea grass, and other oceanic
vegetation. A herd needs at least one good scratching rock or
"sand wallow" as well, as well, not only to help shed old scales continuously but prevent the growth of
barnacles and other skin parasites.
Life Cycle
Hippocampi mate in early spring, after sometimes violent confrontations in
which newly-mature stallions seek to challenge the herd leader for
dominance, or at least steal enough mares to start a new herd. Mares dig
shallow nests in the sand with their hooves and lay two to four transparent
eggs, guarding them fiercely. Nesting is a
vulnerable time to hippocampus herds, as it is the only time they are by
necessity tied to a particular grazing spot. The young
tadfoals hatch in late spring, looking like a peculiar cross between a
traditional Terran seahorse and an oversized tadpole. By the end of summer,
they have developed into recognizable, if awkward and leggy, young
hippocampi, though they retain their blotchy brownish coloring for camoflage
purposes. They reach adulthood in three to four years, depending on
the species, shedding their dull juvenile scales and developing their adult
fetlock-fins. At this time, they are allowed to linger in their birth
herd so long as they don't upset the hierarchy. Those who do - usually
ambitious stallions - are driven out, forming their own herds from other
outcast young adults. Hippocampi live for roughly 60 years, less in the wild.
Temperament
Wild hippocampi, like wild horses, are unpredictable and sometimes highly aggressive. Though many a mergirl dreams of being the one to tame a
surly Arctic Whitemane or Southern Dapplefin stallion, only a highly
experienced wrangler should even consider approaching wild hippocampi, and
then only if they can isolate an adult from a herd before attempting
capture. Domestic hippocampi, bred for as many and varied uses as land
horses, are calmer animals with weaker stinger toxins (see Other Notes,
below), though they still
should be treated with the kindness and respect due all animals. They
are tireless workers, capable of pulling much larger loads then their size
or fancy frills may suggest. Instead of sugar cubes, which are not only
impossible to find underwater but useless as hippocampi lack the ability to
taste sweets, they can be bribed and rewarded with deep sea fruits from the
merpeople's orchards and with land-grown vegetables, which are delicacies to
mercreatures of many kinds.
Magical Traits
Seaside lore says
that wearing a necklace or bracelet braided from hippocampus hair will turn
even the clumsiest fool into an ace rider, and tack made with hippocampus
hair rope will tame the wildest, most stubborn mounts. Whether or not this is
true, hippocampus hair jewelry, often augmented with shells, pearls, and
beads, is wildly popular both under the sea and near it, especially with the
younger set. The long, silky strands are very strong and have an
attractive pearly sheen when dried, but researchers differ as to whether there is any
magic at all associated with the hair. It does make a very fine rope, soft and well-suited to use in tack, so its use persists across
Tirialle.
Ancient legends
tell of wizards cross-breeding land equines with hippocampi to produce
preternaturally gifted horses, capable of incredible speed and higher than average intelligence. Some were said to
be able to run across water as they could across land, race up moonbeams or
rainbows, or bear their riders
swiftly and safely beneath the sea. Even today, many fine Tiriallean
horse breeds such as the Eastern Silkmanes and Dappled Island Saltbloods claim
hippocampi as their founders. If it ever was possible,
the secret to this hybridization trick has been lost. It may,
however, be tied to the transformative charms that some merfolk use to take
on humanoid shape in order to leave the water and explore land;
theoretically, a powerful enough merwizard or merwitch could
concoct a charm to transform their faithful sea steed as well, even if no
official records exist of anyone ever doing so.
Other Notes
Hippocampi may appear defenseless, but their sharp hooves
conceal venom-laced stingers, and they can deliver a powerful
bite if need be. Their venom usually just stuns its victims,
stinging enough to discourage further pursuit, but some wild species have
deadly stingers. If the venom doesn't discourage attackers, the sheer
number and force of hoofblows usually is enough to change their minds.
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