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Yarrhonts are a closed species. Belong to the fauna of my author's Infernarium setting.
Yarrhonts are my interpetation of the mythical kelpies.
Information is in the process of being translated, stand by!
Yarrhonts are mythical creatures that live in the human world. They live in swamps and overgrown rivers adjacent to forests.
Completely blind, they rely heavily on hearing and smell. An additional sensory organ is the long whiskers on their muzzle, as well as the many long hairs and whiskers that are cleverly distributed on their bodies. In addition to blindness, Yarrhs suffer from photosensitivity - even weak daylight hurts them.
The “hooves” resemble those of a goat, while between the two claws is stretched a swimming membrane, with the help of which the creature swims comfortably. There is also an extra toe with a claw on top. Ancient Yarhs have three or four main toes and a few extra lateral toes.
There are peculiarities in the physique as well. Yarrhonts look like horses, but in fact they are not.
They have a long massive body, big massive chest and shoulders, narrow pelvis, hind legs seem smaller than the front, but in strength they are not inferior to the front. The head is small, mounted on a powerful thick neck, dotted with stiff fur and spines.
There are two varieties of Yarrhonts:
Ancient Yarrhonts: wild creatures, demons.
Domestic Yarrhons are “modern”, domesticated,
human-centered, full-fledged animals of the human world.
Domestic Kelpies are said to be the union of a wild creature with a domesticated horse. Due to this, the magical creature has degenerated to the livestock we are accustomed to, docile, peaceful and able to reproduce in the same way.
Ancient Yarchs.
They are intelligent demons, passive predators most of the time. They do not chase deer, they are slow, and they are not afraid of carrion if they find it. As a rule, forest animals are afraid of them, so they prefer to run away and throw unfinished food, it is worth only a chthonic horse to appear on the horizon.
According to some fairy tales and myths it is believed that kelpies are predominantly hostile, but there are other “fairy tales” that claim that the water horses just want to play with humans.
Others know that trying to please the devilish entity on purpose will not work, even after treats, the monster may well take you to the bottom of the river, even if it seemed to you that you have been friends for a long time.
When dealing with humans, ancient Yarhs are often cunning and sneaky, they don't mind playing with food. Unlike the domestic ones, it is a full-fledged demon, making sense of who it is and who a human is.
Outwardly, “wild” river horses have a few key differences with domestic ones:
* First and foremost are the eyes. In the wild Kelpie, the eyes are two empty eye sockets. Looking into the hollow holes you can catch a glimpse of the heavy look of tired eyes.
No, not the eyes of an animal or a monster, but the look of human eyes. It's as if a real person is looking at you from the darkness through the holes in your skull.
Usually to the bystander, this gaze causes extreme discomfort, anxiety, and animal fear.
* The second major difference between domestic and wild ones is unkemptness. River demons are usually dirty and drab, with a long tangled mane and tail. The odors of the savages vary widely. Some smell of damp earth, wet leaves, or mud.
Or all the aromas are interrupted by the ambergris of savoring a rotten deer.
The injuries inflicted on the savages are slow to heal, leaving scarring in their place.
The only problem is that a cutted off ear or leg, or even a piece of jaw, grows back as slowly as possible. A month to a year, depending on the success of the hunt.
Forcing Yarrhont to die a natural death is hard and long, until all his strength is exhausted.
The Ancients Yarrhs are like zombies or vampires. You can only kill them by destroying their head or shooting them with a silver bullet. Cold weapons made of silver will do as well. The injuries inflicted on a demon will never heal.The wild Yarrhs has long, sharp teeth, often asymmetrical in contrast to the domestic Yarh: they have everything is neat and pretty: The teeth are sharp, but only two large fangs.
An ancient hellbender “horse” is many times larger than domestic horses. Growth in the withers critter reaches two and a half meters and above.
Wild Yarrhonts hunt during the full moon.
Yarrhonts are omnivorous, but fresh meat is their main source of strength.
This species of demon lives in cycles. Before the full moon.
With the full moon, the beast's behavior changes from passive to active stalking.
The whites with pupils in the eye sockets of the horse-like creature are no longer visible, all that can be clearly distinguished are two white dots from the darkness.
In dark forest thickets, this is not the only visual indication of a predator in ambush. When they smell something edible, the Yarh noisily draws in air with its nostrils and exhales it in the same way, creating thick puffs of vapor due to the large temperature difference.
They hunt all night long, grabbing whatever they can get their teeth on, frogs, mice, deer, humans, or even each other.
If this night to catch no one managed to “kelpie” out of hunting mode in any case, but until the next full moon, the demon remains even more nervous, long in place does not stand, endlessly wandering in search of something.
Imagine how you come to the refrigerator/cabinet on a boring day, look, close it back and leave. Then you go back again, but you still don't find anything tasty.
In this mood, hungry Kelpies wander through dense forests far from rivers and swamps.
It's Classic ancient Yarrh. Covered blood, looking into the soul.
Ancient Jarrhonts, unlike domestic ones, are not mere creep horses. They are demons, each with their own unique personality - rarely rotten and embittered. Combined with their magical properties, it's not exactly the outlandish beast you'd like to meet.
Yarrhonts can memorize sounds and mimic them, sounding just like humans and using cries for help to draw lost travelers closer to the water. Or to fool or sedate the vigilantes.
A demon's voice can sound both male and female, even a child's.
‼Warning! ‼
The cult strongly advises against reacting to any sounds coming from the thicket during the evening and night! Whether it's a call for help or a woman crying or a child's laughter, if you notice anything suspicious, leave the area immediately!
We will later compile a detailed precautionary leaflet for you on how to behave in case of an encounter with a real Kelpie!
Be careful and prudent 👁🗨👁🗨
Now for the domesticated ones.
Domesticated Yarrhs are no longer aggressive like the Ancients, but they are still stroppy and proud. It is not a riding animal, they are not accustomed to it. The Yarrhont is a free-loving creature that will not tolerate being locked in a barn, making it difficult to keep them anywhere other than in backwoods villages on the edge of the forest with a body of water nearby.
However, despite the willfulness to its master, the creature can be a loyal friend and may not even object to ride it on his back.
But to all sorts of jewelry and care for them from admirers they are always happy.
Domestic Yarrhs are colored, cut and combed by humans. Their harness is as light as possible, so as not to smack the wool and needles on their bodies. River horses do not like tightness and are sensitive to tactile discomfort, so all sorts of rags for them are made mainly of silk and other light materials. Feeling discomfort horse will be nervous, growl and even bite, expressing their discontent.
Unlike the ancients they are not so developed in mind, but they are still smarter than ordinary horses and realize themselves.
Yarrhonts and the Cult.
The river “horses” have always been popular among the occultists, they worshipped them and made up entire precepts and faiths in which the Kelpies were the main link. People were sacrificed to them.
The first domesticated Yarrhonts came into existence thanks to the Scarlet Moon Cult.
It is not possible to domesticate the ancient Kelpie, it is a mostly wild creature, maybe some time loyal to those who regularly supply it with food. At times.
Peculiarities of physiology.
Unlike the ancient Kelpies, domestic ones are very similar to ordinary horses in their internal composition. The heart, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems almost completely correspond to the norms of our usual livestock. The only difference is in diet, gestation and longevity.
* Domestic Yarrhs are omnivorous, but 70% of their diet is fresh meat or fish.
* Life expectancy is between 80 and 140 years.
* Yarrhont's innards and blood are usually purple and blue in color. Rarely bright blue and fuchsia colored.
* The coloration of domestic Yarchontes is as varied as possible and is not limited to the variation of common horses.
* Mares are larger and more massive than stallions.
* The gestation period of the mare is about 5-6 months.
* Mares eat three times as much as normal during the gestation period. They can be aggressive to humans or congeners if they are malnourished.
* Foals are born almost bald, but with dense down on the neck, shoulders and croup, where adults usually have spines and stiff fur.
* One foal is born, very rarely twins.
* The period of maturation is about 2 years, but due to lack of nutrition this period can be extended to 3 years, plus the individual will be small and weak.
* Young Yarrhs are very active and biting. They learn about the world through their teeth and lips, as they are also born blind.
Fun fact #1: Yarrhonts are still mammals despite their origin and diet, but there is one serious problem. Due to their powerful jaws and sharp teeth, from an early age a baby can easily eat its mother, starting with the udder. Because of this, the species is not adapted to reproduction in the wild, and this is where man comes to the rescue.
For this purpose, the mare has to be milked manually and then already feed her bloodthirsty child, using special devices like heavy-duty nipples on a bottle with milk. And even those have to be changed every once in a while. However, this method of nursing additionally creates a bond between humans and kelpies, although you have to suffer in the first month of life. After that, the young Yarrh is ready to switch to meat.
Fun fact #234234234: In the cold season, Yarrh can be a real stove for you! The animal can generate heat so voluminous that the owner will be enough to lie on it, covered with a plaid and feel comfortable even in the fierce cold and wind.
One condition only - your companion must be fed.
Fun fact #3533: Yarrhonts sleep lying down, at times can even sit, if there is something comfortable to lie down to. They have no problem lying down or getting up, and their legs are more flexible, resembling the legs of big cats than horses.
