Solandias Mephos

[Naomi]

Name: Solandias Mephos
Found Where: The high peaks of Solandias
Size: Large. 20 foot wing span, from snout to tail tip, 16 feet in length. ( https://i.imgur.com/0iA1LIq.jpg )(babies https://i.imgur.com/3msu3gS.png )

Description: These predatory meat eating creatures more resemble a cross between a dragon and a zebra gone wrong. Yet the animals themselves are wondrously gorgeous. Scales run from under the chin to under the long tail thats whip like and thin rather then fat and muscled. The wings are thin, membranes easily seen and yet they pure white with a silver/grey mane as can the creatures themselves with the exception of the light grey zebra like stripes that curve around the thick if not long sinewy neck to the tail tip. Only its underbelly and neck to tail are scaled, thick round scales that are warm to the touch and help provide coverage from arrow strikes below it. The head itself is wide, lightest of blue eyes. Its snout however is rather short and sports small razor like teeth since its main dish is the larger deer that run wild along the mountain sides and any sheep they can pluck from a farmers back yard. shaped almost dog like however, the ears themselves are very thin and short. The back and sides however sport a very fine hair to them, silky to the touch and warm. This animal however has been known to land by humans from time to time and lay along large stones, watching them, seemingly only aggressive when cornered and never has there been a case of this majestic creature attacking man without first being attacked. Their front arms are a bit shorter then those thick muscled back legs, likely because they use them so oft to launch themselves into the air and all four legs are capped with short if not sharp talons used mostly for gripping to rock. Indeed, some claim that the first settlers of Solandias once befriended these creatures at young ages since the nest usually only consist of three eggs, large and white to muddy grey hues. A bonding they would have called it but now how to tame them has been lost when the first race vanished from Solandias. This particular breed is only found in cold northern reaches and prefer the cold.

Abilities: Keen eyesight as well as night vision, these creatures can even on a dark or cloudy day to misty see more then 5 miles. Their sense of smell is as well quite keen and rivals even a wolves. Speeds three times what a dragon could do in the air and highly agile.

Disadvantages: These creatures though highly attuned in eyesight and scent have trouble hearing, perhaps because those ears are so small. As well, the smell of smoke to a heavy fire seems to attracted them easily, always curious they'll even dive upon a large bonfire to see if they can cozy up. Odd really since they live in the highest reaches of Solandias Mountains and only have just begun being seen. They also seem most attracted to magic, highly sensitive as they are with cold these creatures almost seem to 'sense' powerful spells going off and pop out of nowhere. Its possible they simply hover about, trying to decide if their curiosity is worth it.

Special: It is highly possible to 'bond' with these creatures though once they reach the age of 5 when they are fully grown and live to be over 300 its said they become two 'sensitive' or 'stubborn' about excepting a human that close all the time. However the younger generations seems docile enough and at times could possibly be bounded to. Its best to get them as young eggs but it takes a long time. Also it is possible to 'ride' these beasts once bonded and trained properly but one must be an expert in horsemanship (or war beast riding)or trained for six months of rp time in knowing how.

In Battle Only: When in the air on one of these great beasts, it will lend its rider its 'sight' for five turns only before the 'contact' is broken this works out of combat. Much like a familiar but not as sharp. This can be done once daily. It also if one continues to ride on this beast, gives the rider a +3 to defense and a +2 to agility but once off the beast, these are lost. The creature in combat will add a +5 to defense and will not fight the riders battles for him. The stats used are the Riders of course with these stat bonuses added to when on your Mephos.

====

Additional notes from Zayla who has been studying them:

Alpha Male: Largest and strongest of the bunch. Has a path of fur and a scar over right eye, but apparently, sees fine from it. It's markings are darker than most of the others, the stripes at least were darker. It's mouth was the largest of the bunch, and the alpha female was its mate. He is the main protector of the group, working with the alpha female and alpha elder to protect the grouping.

Alpha Female: Had the silverist mane out of all the mephos, and the softest and lightest colored fur. She bares no scars or bald spots. Main egg layer for the bunch, she sleeps more often than the rest, but is almost as strong as the alpha male, but much smaller compared to size. She watches over the females of the group and keeps them in line and takes care of the young.

Alpha Elder: The oldest member of the group that isn't as strong as the Alpha male, keeps all the elders in line. By definition an Elder is the adults in the group that are not the alphas that are beyond mating. He has the darkest fur and mane, and has scrapes and scars all over his body from all the challenges he faced as an alpha male in his prime.

The rest of the group: There are 7 females total, only 3 others are able to mate, and two are young, maybe yearlings. 5 Elders, and 2 other breeding males. It's a small group, but that doesn't include the group over by the Emerald mine either. This mine is the platinum mine to the west of the portal. All other members of this mephos group behaves like other mephos, but just more geared for the cold and the bad weather that the mountains can conjur up with. They are longer and stronger than regular mephos, and furry, all to compensate living in the mountains. Their temperament are the more gentler than other mephos, having been allowed to get this close to them to find out all these details out from sitting in the egg room next to their home in the platinum mine. Every once in awhile I get chased, but not so much now that I have the butterfly powder with me. I knock one out, and the rest generally leaves me alone. The more I come here, the less and less I have to use the butterfly powder. The last few visits I haven't needed the butterfly powder to be allowed to sit here, so they are learning to trust me, which will be essential when the eggs are ready to be taken. I'm going to start to see if they will let me into their den to sit with them, which I am assuming will not be the case, but I can't help but try. The creatures are some of the more magnificent creatures I have ever seen, and just to be in their presence is like being seen before a god of some kind.