Post by Tulf on Jul 10, 2016 3:20:09 GMT
UNICORN INTRODUCTION
An iconic variety of Mystic Kind that was especially famous during the Middle Ages, the modern unicorn is a rare kind of centaur which bears the wondrous horn and colours the mythical beast is known for. However, despite being known and proven to be such a being after the fall of the masquerade, it is unclear whether there is still such a thing as the ‘feral’ unicorn; the horn-clad horse that the creature was known to be; or if it was always this mutation of the centaur all along – of all things, the modern unicorns themselves are most tight-lipped about this issue. Regardless of these issues of mythology and history, these beings are icons amongst centaur – once miracles, then spiritual leaders, and now celebrities… though the amount of faith in their value even among Mystic Kind seems to be beginning to waver. Aside from their colouring and horn, unicorns are identical to centaur in their typical sizes; usually standing at around 6’ but varying greatly depending on the equine species their stature reflects alongside the usual variance in life as a whole.
Based on what little history has been revealed to mankind by centaurs (with even less being offered by unicorns themselves), the odd species appear to be a strange mutation from the main horse-like race, very rarely appearing among natural centaur offspring – approximately one per decade among the larger kingdoms of centaur. However, should two unicorn breed, the offspring will always be a unicorn; a fact that has naturally lead to noble families of unicorns. It is thought that this sort of ‘unicorn bourgeois’ may have led to the idea that unicorn are only attracted to virgins; a concept that appears in Mystic Kind culture as well as humanity’s. On a similar note of such legends, it is thought that their supposed elegance and ethereal beauty is thanks to the grandiose supply of mana their horns allow them to handle; letting them use simple magic to mask their kind’s usual awkwardness which comes with their size and physique.
While very similar to centaur, unicorn bear a number of distinguishing traits; such as their unnatural pelt colours and slightly longer lifespans. Most importantly is of course their iconic horn – which is indeed as magical as it is infamous for being. A powerful conductor of mana, perhaps one of the best in the natural world, a unicorn’s horn only becomes more and more powerful (and fancy-looking) as its owner ages. While it can be chipped and cut and manage to regenerate, should the horn be entirely removed it will never come back – and typically the short-circuit of mana from the unicorn will usually kill the original owner with the action. Due to their horns, unicorns are capable of using magic unlike their standard centaur kin; though they are usually only learned in the fields of healing and purification as per their legends.
However, their horns come with a horrible secret as well – should a unicorn’s horn ever be cut in two vertically, they will be cursed with the life of a bicorn. Losing their holy or nature-based magic for dark magic instead, bicorn are said to be malignant and abhorrent beasts, surrounded by stories of megalomania and butchery. But, due to the impractical nature of this transformation catalyst and the unicorns’ own secrecy, it is unclear whether these stories are really true – though it has been proven that a bisected unicorn horn does become orientated for dark magic, so perhaps at least part of it holds some weight. Unsurprisingly, unicorns are not very keen on letting their fame and mystery be tampered with by science, so should humanity wish to continue having a good relationship with their centaur allies it is probably for the best if they remain so enigmatic.
UNICORN LIMITATIONS
- Cannot be turned into any other supernatural kind.
- Can learn and use Ki, albeit requiring very different methods to humans given their body structure.
- Can learn and use magic, although they are restricted to light, holy, or nature magic.
- Are unable to use a lot of human-based equipment, due to their body structure.
- Cannot eat meat.