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| Felipipi | |
|---|---|
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| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Felipipi |
| Common Nicknames | Sweetsong Sandsinger, Yanam Wahsh |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Habitat | Cities and deserts of Farahdeen |
| Domesticated | Yes |
| Current Status | Uncommon |
The Felipipi is a creature with a blend of feline and canine attributes. It has one outstanding feature however, a prominent hollow horn upon its head that can put people to sleep through the haunting melody that the wind can play through the twisting structure. The Felipipi is an ancient creature of Farahdeen, native to the region yet hunted by the Qadir seeking to learn all they could of its strange horn. However, the Songaskia were far less interested in such a feature as a trophy, and instead tamed the great beasts. They are now ridden by the best of the Songaskia animal tamers and riders, though populations of their kind also survive in the deserts deep within their eastern homeland.
History
The Felipipi was known by many other names in the age before the coming of its later masters. During the time of the Sariyd, the animal was a common part of their diverse array of gods. In some traditions, it was a guide to lost souls from the desert, the haunting melodies played through its horn a way to attract and lead such entities. Other traditions ran in direct contrast to that, claiming it was a creature of hostile intent, who lured its victims to sleep and savagely devoured them. Another, more curious idea, suggested they were a failed Race from an age before the Sariyd themselves, made to sing forlornly at their own failure. Whatever the truth, it is clear the animal was a creature of the sands, and stayed away from the large Pearl Cities of the Qadir. The animal also appeared to fear technology, being able to scent and know the approach of Clockwork as despite these many myths, the animal was hunted extensively in the era of the Sariyd. Some did it for religious reasons, but others did it for pure profit and research, seeking to fully understand and replicate the unique ability of inducing slumber that made the Felipipi stand out in the sands. Their efforts were ultimately fruitless, though many “Sand Tunes” came about from such experiments, some of the earliest examples of synthetic music which have persisted until this day.
The Felipipi were saved from possible extinction by the rise of the Songaskia. When or how the animal was tamed by these inheritors of Dragons is unclear, but some suspect that these creatures of the desert were drawn to kin of a similar spirit, and being unlike the Qadir, able to be bonded much quicker. It is clear from records by both sides of the conflict between the dual Races of Farahdeen that the Felipipi was being mounted and ridden into battle prior to the Cataclysm, indicating perhaps as little as 100 years of time for domestication. Not all Felipipi were ensnared in these efforts though, and even after the birth of the Songaskian Masaya, the animal never grew to be a common Mount like the Maaris Cobra. They were reserved for the best animal trainers and the elite of the Songaskia, serving as attack animals to simple modes of transportation, to creatures of pleasure due to their haunting musical horns. It has remained that way ever since, the population split roughly equally between the wilds and the urban Pearl Cities of the Songaskia.
Physical Appearance
The Felipipi stands between six and seven feet tall with a length of seven feet, though they have a light weight for such a large form at only around 700 to 900 pounds. Their head features a “warped” structure, with a feline set of triangular, pointed ears and slitted pale green eyes with a more canine-like extended maw with sharp teeth. Their most notable feature is their intricate, delicate caramel-brown horn, which extends in a slight curve from the top of their head to an inch or two down their snout. It is commonly likened to that of a flute, with small spherical or ovular holes along its surface, with an overall twisted growth pattern like that of a narwhal, only more pronounced. The horn itself can reach a length of a foot, though only in the oldest members of the species, and while it can regrow itself should it be broken off, this process can take years. The rest of the animal’s body, attached by a thick neck, is best described as athletic. It stands on four strong legs, each ending in a broad paw built for running over desert sands. The shoulders and physical size of the Felipipi is also broad, before narrowing slightly in the back legs producing a slightly humped back, with a fringe of hair running down its spine. Their bodies then end in a long, feline-like tail. The Felipipi has a range of colorations, from pale tans to dark brown hues, and is usually striped along their flanks and sides, with a different coloration for their ears than the rest of their face. All black Felipipi can exist however, and are highly prized.
Diversity
Felipipi are highly diverse within their two population groupings, capable of a range of physical differences and sizes. This is not determined by sexuality dimorphism however, but instead their diets. Those Felipipi of the urban Songaskia environment tend to be larger, but have shorter horns, while those of the wild are usually smaller, but have longer horns. Their population numbers are equal.
Life Span and Development
Felipipi pups are born in litters of three to five, emerging, strangely, with bright orange fur. They are blind for the first few days of their lives, and make quite high-pitched yips during this period, surprised by most things they encounter with their noses and bodies. Their horns do not exist at this time, and are instead a bump of ivory along what might amount to their forehead. Over the next four months, they mature into proper young, no longer pups, skinny in form and not as vocal, though their horns slowly begin to form. By the age of two, they are adolescents, and begin to fully develop their adult muscle mass and their horns reach their maximum level of growth. It is in this stage they also, slowly, break away from their parents, though remain close and aware of them for the rest of their lives. They are considered full adults by the age of five, and often mate soon after this age, if they have not already. Felipipi live for a total of forty years in the wild, and often approach sixty in domesticated environments.
Mental Overview
The Felipipi are a private, but also intensely social and devoted species. Their time among the Songaskia has many comfortable with their presence, even in the wild. The animal has a devoted family structure, mating taking place for life, and usually occurring by the age of ten. If a mate is not found by this time, then the member becomes equal to a spinster or a bachelor, often separated from the wider population and finding companionship with one another rather than with a family structure. The Felipipi are known for their group serenades, an event that happens based on the season, and the winds within the region they inhabit. Almost always at night, the animals will raise their heads, and allow the wind to flow through their horns, producing an enchanting, slumber-triggering song that knocks anyone out capable of hearing the tune. Some have been known to resist this power, but they have often had to set up some method of causing pain to themselves when sleep comes, in addition to natural resistance. This song is also effective on a one to one basis. Felipipi are capable of great agility over the sands in pursuit of prey, while those in Songaskia territories are often kept exercised through tests of skill and labor. Finally, Felipipi have a universal negative reaction to the Qadir, while remaining fairly neutral about all other non-native groups to Farahdeen.
Territory and Groupings
Felipipi pens in the cities of the Songaskia are often built close to the walls, allowing for easy departure from the city for exercise and travel. They are often two-story, elaborate affairs however, with plenty of inventive creations to help the animals remain exercised or active. Their numbers in these spaces can generally number between fifty to seventy. Felipipi packs in the wild, meanwhile, live in far smaller numbers, two or three family units equaling between ten and twenty members. They are migratory, and are not territorial in the sense of guarding a single region. However, their sleeping spaces are off limits to others of their kind, and fights will break out if a group attempts to push out another from such a location.
Trivia
- One of the goddesses of the Sariyd was a being devoted to music and the arts. She apparently had a zoomorphic appearance in line with a Felipipi.
- Wooden instruments carved in approximation of Felipipi horns are not uncommon in Songaskian society. While they lack the ability to put people to sleep like the animal’s protrusion, their melodies are often enchanting after a long day of hard work.
- The remains of Felipipi are rarely used by Songaskian Mages to craft their artificial living dead, the Necroservants, used to power the most mundane aspects of their society.
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