Hiraeth Creature #1156 - Huposphinx“Northern Hiraeth values adaptability, as the lands within

Hiraeth Creature #1156 - Huposphinx“Northern Hiraeth values adaptability, as the lands within the top of the world sway back and forth from serenity to hardship as frostbitten winds come and go. It is the whims of the wind and clouds to decide what parts of the north will be tranquil and which will be whited out by snow. This, in turn, dictates where creatures decide to spend the day— whether they move to wherever is calm or stay their feet and take the brunt of the cold. The ultimate test of this is when winter takes hold of the north, and the entire ecosystem is split between who can remain who must migrate. A creature unbothered by the cycles almost entirely is the resilient Huposhinx. While bulky and rotund in shape, they can carry themselves over barricades of snow with ease. With both sight and smell extremely keen, they are often aware of where food is buried, and where hunters are trying to hide. Huposphinx have very compact and scale-like feathers that armour their body, going so far as to meshing into plating along their back. This lets them survive deadly strikes from predators around their size, and also lets them brush off hunks of snow and ice that northern winds will try and throw at them. The durability of the Huposphinx is of great renown among northern wild folk, who show reverence to these creatures for not only surviving through the northern winter, but also in Sickledew forests. Sickledew is a magical frost that takes part of the taigas from time to time, turning all vegetation into colourful, crystalline shapes. While this phenomenon is beautiful to witness, it is far from pleasant to be in the middle of— every leaf, bristle, and blade of grass turns sharp as daggers. Sickledew breeds a strange anger into the flora as well, causing normally calm plants to occasionally lash out at anything nearby. Huposphinx are one of the few species that can withstand Sickledew and will even continue to graze amongst glades taken by it. What are roadblocks for many, the Huposphinx see as sanctuary. Consuming Sickledew gives the Huposphinx new temporary abilities, such as coating their protective feathers with frost, or snorting out blast of ice from their snout. Many artisans and alchemists have sought out uses of this arcane ice, but its razor-sharpness makes it near impossible to harvest and its fleeting nature makes it hard to properly study.” -- source link

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