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{{Info fauna
{{Info fauna
|image =
|image = noimg.png
|officialname = Qilin
|officialname = Qilin
|nicknames = Xx’en’m’en’ha
|nicknames = Qirin, Eastern Elasmo
|classification = [[Mammal]]
|classification = [[Mammal]]
|habitat = [[Dexai]]
|habitat = [[Zhong]]
|domesticated = Yes
|domesticated = No
|status = Uncommon
|status = Rare
|}}
|}}
The Qilin is a skittish variety of deer found in the Far East and has lived in the northern mountains of [[Dexai]] for centuries. With a lithe and seemingly otherworldly appearance thanks to their shimmering fur, the Qilin are hailed as mystical, beautiful, and in some cases, tied to the [[White Loong Dragons]] by the various [[Sihai Dynasties]] which know of them. Today, their numbers are recovering after a period of unfortunate death and slaughter, and those that hunt them might face some social pressures not to openly do so.
Of all the animals in [[The Far East]], the Qilin is one of the rarest and most beautiful creatures native to these lands. The Qilin was used as the base for the [[Qilin Stance]], one of the more visually spectacular transformations and power-sets of the [[Sihai]] [[Race]]. It is also the Lunar Spirit to the proud and boisterous Heiyan Sihai, from the [[Heiyan]] Kingdom at the heart of the continent of [[Zhong]]. The animal was once ridden in the distant past, but an ancient conflict between the [[Sheng Empire]] and the last of the nation who supposedly tamed the Qilin put an end to this practice. Today, it exists sparingly in the wilds or is kept in a broad enclosure for the enjoyment of wealthy folk.


==History==
==History==
The Qilin is an animal with a story hidden in the background of the wider [[Sihai]] struggles between the Dynasties. Indeed, they have also been hidden for much of Sihai history. Since the time before writing, the timid and isolated animal was heavily prized by hunters of the Xx’en Kingdom found in the north of Dexai. Its luscious pelt and fine horns were beautiful and worth well over three times their weight in [[Jade]], and the animal’s horns formed a part of the Xx’en Kingdom’s insignia. For the next thousand years, over the course of the [[Early Kingdoms Period]], the animal was hunted and revered by northern Sihai. But when this era came to an end, and [[Huai Empire]] followed by the [[Huon Rebellions]] began, the population of Qilin vastly decreased. The War Dynasty sought hunting trophies, and the mountain forests the Qilin called home were routinely disrupted by marching peasant mobs. In response to this, they fled even deeper into the north, where they vanished into myth and folklore for the next two thousand years. It was under the [[Lova]] and their Dynasty that the animal was rediscovered, studied, and proven to be alive and existing. During the era they had vanished, a myriad of myths and superstitions grew up around them, claiming them to be servants of the White Loong Dragons of the northern mountains, tenders of nature, or more spirit than flesh. The [[Zuge Dynasty]] annihilated these myths and, once again, devastated the populations of the Qilin, particularly under Zuge Tegu as he apparently felt their beautiful appearance might be useful in his search for eternal life. The Qilin once more retreated, and until recent times, have finally begun to reemerge in the northern mountain forests of Dexai. While their connection to the Loong Dragons is far less pronounced today, and they are hunted sparingly, many Sihai have declared them a sacred animal deserving of protection. Thus, hunters who do kill one should be careful of who they share their success to, or else they might find an angry mob at their doorstep.  
The Qilin is like an animal of legend to the Sihai, even if evidence of it is abundant across their society. Its origin is claimed to lie directly with the [[Loong Dragon]]s, for while all Loong created the world as far as the Sihai see it, two working in concert to form one creation is a rarity. The first of these Loong was Saaima, the Mother while the second was Ao-Jin, the Futureteller. Ao-Jin desired an animal to aid him in his weaving efforts, to craft the fates of all, so the Qilin was formed. Delicate, with a singular horn, it could nimbly leap and fetch the strings the Loong fateweaver so desired, while its horn could also serve as an anchor point for multiple strings that needed to be kept in order. Thus, when the Stances came into being, the Sihai were given a fraction of this animal’s power, to give the Qilin eternal acknowledgment for its role in the universe. From here, the Qilin’s path took them to be dominated by the nation known as the Qilinnarri, one of the many Ancient Kingdoms from Sheng’s oldest years. Located along the southern coastline, in humid to temperate plains under the open sky, the Qilinnarri supposedly tamed the Qilin, riding them into conflicts to preserve the work of their seers, many of whom were jealousy sought after in this early time. When the [[Sheng Empire]] arose centuries later, the last to stand against them was the Qilinnarri, whose desire for total autonomy and other demands could never be accommodated by the First Emperor. Thus, the Qilinnarri rode a final time, but it is said rather than face death, their Qilin carved paths into the stars that their riders then ascended, joining the heavens rather than falling to the earth.
 
Many outsiders might question these very flowery tales, and even some Sihai have come to doubt them in recent years, for many more tales insist the rise of the Sheng Empire was peaceful. But, it is true that the Qilin were once ridden by the Sihai living on Sheng, only for this practice to come to an end. But what is not fiction is the role Qilin would hold in later Sihai society. To have a Qilin horn was said to be a sign of a great fate for the bearer, while alchemical texts also speak of near-mystical connotations capable of boosting a Qilin Stance Sihai’s powers, or extending one’s lifespan. So, as centuries wore on, Qilin were hunted, growing rare and isolated in the wilds, which only added to their mystique. Never openly pursued and never sanctioned by the Sheng Empire’s ruling dynasty, instead agents and amoral hunters of those with money to burn, and time to wait and acquire what they so desired, went after the animal in ancient forests and mountain wilds. When the Sihai eventually landed in Zhong, they surprisingly found Qilin to roam the wilds in the western reaches of the continent. Their abundance was soon brought to an end, but unlike in Sheng, the Qilin within their borders were actively protected by the Heiyan Kingdom. Even more so than on Sheng, Qilin seers–trusted keepers of wild Qilin populations, equal parts ranger and prophet that exist outside of the structure of the [[Loong Virtue]] faith so key to Sihai society–came about to guard the wild populations and tend to those kept in enclosures by Sihai nobles. This remains the same still today. The pride many Heiyan Sihai hold often derives, in part, from their role with keeping these precious creatures safe.


==Physical Appearance==
==Physical Appearance==
The Qilin is a very delicate, dainty cervid. They stand between five and six feet tall (minus their horns) and are around seven to eight feet long with a weight somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds. Their heads are narrow and delicate, with a small mouth, but a large black nose, a pair of large black or brown eyes, two pointed long ears, and finally, a single, thin back-curving horns. These horns are strange and exotic, with the normal yellow coloration seemingly infused with traces of violet, in addition to dark or dark blue bands that divide the horns. These colorations and contrasting tones typically indicate the age of a Qilin. This horn is capable of a unique power, only capable when the animal is alive, where it can form a funnel of air in front of it. This funnel is capable of deflecting arrows, which allowed it to survive in the ancient past when it was hunted, but also now serves to protect a rider on its back. It’s thin head is then supported by a long, well built neck that attaches itself to the rest of the narrow body. The animal stands on four long legs with white hooves, and its body ends in a long tail often made far longer by the silver coat that covers much of the animal. This silvery hide is located on the body, the back of the neck, and down each of the legs with a slight twist so that by the time it reaches the hooves, it is complete and has removed the normal, thinner white-haired underbelly. The two types of hair are distinguished apart by their color, but also because along the point they meet, a cream or beige-colored “transition section” cane be found.
The Qilin is a very delicate, dainty cervid-like creature. They stand between five and six feet tall (minus their horn) and are around seven to eight feet long with a weight somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds. Their head is a mesh of equine and feline features, with large slitted eyes, a long snout with several whiskers at the end, a thick-toothed mouth, two pointed ears and finally, a single, thin back-curving horn. This horn is strange and exotic, with a normal yellow coloration seemingly infused with traces of violet, in addition to dark or dark blue bands that spiral up the horn’s formation. These colorations and contrasting tones also help to name the age of a Qilin. The horn, while often gentle and straight facing in its point, positioned in the middle of their head, is known to lean to one side or droop further forward or rise further back, in certain cases. One was even known to have a slight twist to it. The Qilin’s head is supported by a long, well-built neck that attaches itself to the rest of the narrow body. The animal stands on four long legs with white hooves, and its body ends in a long tail often made far longer by the silver coat that covers much of the animal. This silvery hide is located on the body, the back of the neck, and down each of the legs with a slight twist so that by the time it reaches the hooves, it is complete and has removed the thin layer of green scales which covers the animal's underbelly.
===Diversity===
===Diversity===
The Qilin female and male populations are very equivalent. In appearance, unless they are fawn, all Qilin look identical. Although there is one method of indication on a Qilin, that being  discrepancies in the appearance of their horns. For every solid dark band that exists in the unique formations, a Qilin has lived ten years.  
Qilin gender numbers are equal, and they lack obvious visuals between the genders, save when they are fawns. However, there is one method of indication on a Qilin, which is their age. This is determined through the dark bands that can exist on their singular horn, because for every band, a Qilin has lived ten years.
===Life Span and Development===
===Life Span and Development===
The Qilin, while generally unknown for much of its history, was recorded extensively by the Lova Dynasty during their ascendance. This included how they develop, which is much the same as any cervid. An individual fawn is born from a mother, and is cream colored with only yellow stubs in place of their antlers. They mature slowly over the course of two years, reaching physical maturing by age one but mental maturity by age two. Their horns then begin to slowly come in, and eventually form the impressive and beautiful structures they are known for. They have no set mating season, capable of engaging in the activity at all times of the year, but it is most common in the fall months. Their lifespan is unknown, though the oldest specimen ever seen reportedly had such a long and curved horn that the tip had turned forward, suggesting a being well over 100 years old.
While a lot of information about the Qilin is steeped in myth, and is almost hearsay, the rise of the Heiyan Qilin seers has allowed them to record more accurate information. An individual fawn is born from a mother, and is cream colored with only yellow stubs in place of their antlers. This is the only stage when males are different from females, as males have a series of white spots around their lower neck and face in a clear dappling, while female fawns only have them around their hind legs. They mature slowly over the course of several years, reaching physical maturity by age of two but mental maturity by age of four. Their horns then begin to slowly come in, and eventually form the impressive and beautiful structures they are known for. They have no set mating season, capable of engaging at all times of the year, but it is most common in the fall months. Their lifespan is unknown, though the oldest specimens which have been seen reportedly had such long and curved horns that the tips had turned forward, suggesting beings well over 100 years old.


==Mental Overview==
==Mental Overview==
The Qilin is a timid, skittery creature that exemplifies the mannerisms of a herbivore. Their bodies are capable of short sprints from danger, and their thin size allowed them to leap between and around tight obstacles. However, they are also fragile, and easily tire. Thus, to prevent the chase altogether, the Qilin uses its large ears and noses to smell and hear danger approaching. They are a caring species, tender with each other, and there is no competition during the mating season or indeed any other time of the year. While they are domesticated by the Sihai, these numbers are few, and many pay top price to acquire one.
The Qilin is a timid, skittery creature that exemplifies the mannerisms of a herbivore. Their bodies are capable of short sprints from danger, and their thin size allowed them to leap between and around tight obstacles. However, they are also fragile, and easily tire. Thus, to prevent the chase altogether, the Qilin uses its large ears and noses to smell and hear danger approaching. They are a caring species, tender with each other, and there is no competition during the mating season or indeed any other time of the year. They have been known to favor activities at night, napping during the day and sunset to rise for brief periods during the darkness for runs and social activities.
===Territory and Groupings===
===Territory and Groupings===
The Qilin live in heavy isolation in the forests that cling to the northern mountains of Dexai. Their groups are small, made up of family pairs and children loosely forming a larger herd spread out across an area of miles. Thanks to their keen smell, it seems that the animals are able to keep track of the members of their scattered herd and follow them. Their pattern is meangering, but in general, they ascend higher during the spring and summer, and lower in the fall and winter. In domesticated surroundings, they live in similarly small herds, and are rarely stabled alone, save for their appearance in wider Aloria where they are practically mythical.
The Qilin live in heavy isolation in deep-growth forests, jungles, and rugged mountain valleys. Their groups are small, made up of family pairs and children loosely forming a larger herd spread out across an area of several miles. Thanks to their keen smell, it seems that the animals are able to keep track of the members of their scattered herd and follow them. Their pattern is meandering, but in general, they ascend higher during the spring and summer, and lower in the fall and winter.


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Qilin pelts and horns outside of Dexai are almost unheard of, though a few left with the [[Altalar]] and their offspring when they were exiled, and a further rare few over the past two centuries of trade with the outside world.
*Qilin pelts and horns outside of Zhong are almost unheard of, but a few left with the [[Teledden]] in olden times and are reported to have not lost their luster.  
*Modern War Dynasty hunters seek out Qilin to defeat them as a sign of their prowess in battle. Among their people, the animal is said to be ethereal, and thus difficult to physically injure or catch unaware.
*Among modern warriors of the Sihai, which have only grown in number due to the demands of beating back the [[Akula]] every few years, the animal is said to be ethereal, and thus difficult to physically injure or catch unaware.
{{fauna}}
{{fauna}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Writers = HydraLana
|Writers = HydraLana
|Processors = MantaRey, AlphaInsomnia, PapidaCarrot
|Processors = FireFan96, BillyTheScruffy, MantaRey
}}
}}
[[category:Fauna]] [[category:Mammals]]
[[category:Fauna]] [[category:Mammals]] [[category:Jadeheart Fauna]]

Revision as of 12:44, 21 May 2023

Qilin
Noimg.png
Fauna
Official Name Qilin
Common Nicknames Qirin, Eastern Elasmo
Classification Mammal
Habitat Zhong
Domesticated No
Current Status Rare

Of all the animals in The Far East, the Qilin is one of the rarest and most beautiful creatures native to these lands. The Qilin was used as the base for the Qilin Stance, one of the more visually spectacular transformations and power-sets of the Sihai Race. It is also the Lunar Spirit to the proud and boisterous Heiyan Sihai, from the Heiyan Kingdom at the heart of the continent of Zhong. The animal was once ridden in the distant past, but an ancient conflict between the Sheng Empire and the last of the nation who supposedly tamed the Qilin put an end to this practice. Today, it exists sparingly in the wilds or is kept in a broad enclosure for the enjoyment of wealthy folk.

History

The Qilin is like an animal of legend to the Sihai, even if evidence of it is abundant across their society. Its origin is claimed to lie directly with the Loong Dragons, for while all Loong created the world as far as the Sihai see it, two working in concert to form one creation is a rarity. The first of these Loong was Saaima, the Mother while the second was Ao-Jin, the Futureteller. Ao-Jin desired an animal to aid him in his weaving efforts, to craft the fates of all, so the Qilin was formed. Delicate, with a singular horn, it could nimbly leap and fetch the strings the Loong fateweaver so desired, while its horn could also serve as an anchor point for multiple strings that needed to be kept in order. Thus, when the Stances came into being, the Sihai were given a fraction of this animal’s power, to give the Qilin eternal acknowledgment for its role in the universe. From here, the Qilin’s path took them to be dominated by the nation known as the Qilinnarri, one of the many Ancient Kingdoms from Sheng’s oldest years. Located along the southern coastline, in humid to temperate plains under the open sky, the Qilinnarri supposedly tamed the Qilin, riding them into conflicts to preserve the work of their seers, many of whom were jealousy sought after in this early time. When the Sheng Empire arose centuries later, the last to stand against them was the Qilinnarri, whose desire for total autonomy and other demands could never be accommodated by the First Emperor. Thus, the Qilinnarri rode a final time, but it is said rather than face death, their Qilin carved paths into the stars that their riders then ascended, joining the heavens rather than falling to the earth.

Many outsiders might question these very flowery tales, and even some Sihai have come to doubt them in recent years, for many more tales insist the rise of the Sheng Empire was peaceful. But, it is true that the Qilin were once ridden by the Sihai living on Sheng, only for this practice to come to an end. But what is not fiction is the role Qilin would hold in later Sihai society. To have a Qilin horn was said to be a sign of a great fate for the bearer, while alchemical texts also speak of near-mystical connotations capable of boosting a Qilin Stance Sihai’s powers, or extending one’s lifespan. So, as centuries wore on, Qilin were hunted, growing rare and isolated in the wilds, which only added to their mystique. Never openly pursued and never sanctioned by the Sheng Empire’s ruling dynasty, instead agents and amoral hunters of those with money to burn, and time to wait and acquire what they so desired, went after the animal in ancient forests and mountain wilds. When the Sihai eventually landed in Zhong, they surprisingly found Qilin to roam the wilds in the western reaches of the continent. Their abundance was soon brought to an end, but unlike in Sheng, the Qilin within their borders were actively protected by the Heiyan Kingdom. Even more so than on Sheng, Qilin seers–trusted keepers of wild Qilin populations, equal parts ranger and prophet that exist outside of the structure of the Loong Virtue faith so key to Sihai society–came about to guard the wild populations and tend to those kept in enclosures by Sihai nobles. This remains the same still today. The pride many Heiyan Sihai hold often derives, in part, from their role with keeping these precious creatures safe.

Physical Appearance

The Qilin is a very delicate, dainty cervid-like creature. They stand between five and six feet tall (minus their horn) and are around seven to eight feet long with a weight somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds. Their head is a mesh of equine and feline features, with large slitted eyes, a long snout with several whiskers at the end, a thick-toothed mouth, two pointed ears and finally, a single, thin back-curving horn. This horn is strange and exotic, with a normal yellow coloration seemingly infused with traces of violet, in addition to dark or dark blue bands that spiral up the horn’s formation. These colorations and contrasting tones also help to name the age of a Qilin. The horn, while often gentle and straight facing in its point, positioned in the middle of their head, is known to lean to one side or droop further forward or rise further back, in certain cases. One was even known to have a slight twist to it. The Qilin’s head is supported by a long, well-built neck that attaches itself to the rest of the narrow body. The animal stands on four long legs with white hooves, and its body ends in a long tail often made far longer by the silver coat that covers much of the animal. This silvery hide is located on the body, the back of the neck, and down each of the legs with a slight twist so that by the time it reaches the hooves, it is complete and has removed the thin layer of green scales which covers the animal's underbelly.

Diversity

Qilin gender numbers are equal, and they lack obvious visuals between the genders, save when they are fawns. However, there is one method of indication on a Qilin, which is their age. This is determined through the dark bands that can exist on their singular horn, because for every band, a Qilin has lived ten years.

Life Span and Development

While a lot of information about the Qilin is steeped in myth, and is almost hearsay, the rise of the Heiyan Qilin seers has allowed them to record more accurate information. An individual fawn is born from a mother, and is cream colored with only yellow stubs in place of their antlers. This is the only stage when males are different from females, as males have a series of white spots around their lower neck and face in a clear dappling, while female fawns only have them around their hind legs. They mature slowly over the course of several years, reaching physical maturity by age of two but mental maturity by age of four. Their horns then begin to slowly come in, and eventually form the impressive and beautiful structures they are known for. They have no set mating season, capable of engaging at all times of the year, but it is most common in the fall months. Their lifespan is unknown, though the oldest specimens which have been seen reportedly had such long and curved horns that the tips had turned forward, suggesting beings well over 100 years old.

Mental Overview

The Qilin is a timid, skittery creature that exemplifies the mannerisms of a herbivore. Their bodies are capable of short sprints from danger, and their thin size allowed them to leap between and around tight obstacles. However, they are also fragile, and easily tire. Thus, to prevent the chase altogether, the Qilin uses its large ears and noses to smell and hear danger approaching. They are a caring species, tender with each other, and there is no competition during the mating season or indeed any other time of the year. They have been known to favor activities at night, napping during the day and sunset to rise for brief periods during the darkness for runs and social activities.

Territory and Groupings

The Qilin live in heavy isolation in deep-growth forests, jungles, and rugged mountain valleys. Their groups are small, made up of family pairs and children loosely forming a larger herd spread out across an area of several miles. Thanks to their keen smell, it seems that the animals are able to keep track of the members of their scattered herd and follow them. Their pattern is meandering, but in general, they ascend higher during the spring and summer, and lower in the fall and winter.

Trivia

  • Qilin pelts and horns outside of Zhong are almost unheard of, but a few left with the Teledden in olden times and are reported to have not lost their luster.
  • Among modern warriors of the Sihai, which have only grown in number due to the demands of beating back the Akula every few years, the animal is said to be ethereal, and thus difficult to physically injure or catch unaware.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors FireFan96, BillyTheScruffy, MantaRey
Last Editor HydraLana on 05/21/2023.

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