Found in the Stream
Egg:
Two pale orbs reflect light onto this spiked egg.
Hatchling: no dimorphism
Description:
Spoiler
The selenic crystalwing hatchlings can fly as soon as they come out of their eggs. They have a limitless joy of flying, never seeming to tire of chasing each other in the air. They sometimes hunt night bugs, especially fireflies, as the bug's glowing bodies attract the attention of curious crystalwings. When the time comes for the hatchlings to sleep, they will retreat to the safety of their parents. The hatchlings will nuzzle their heads into the parents' feathers, lazily flapping their wings as they doze off.
Description:
Spoiler
According to experts, the true beauty of a selenic crystalwing can only be seen during the nights with a full moon. They are exquisite creatures, the light shining from their gems as soft as the moonlight, and those sitting in their light usually feel at ease or self-fulfilled. The selenic crystalwings are benevolent and seek to help those in need, calming them with their moonlight. Agile flyers and perfect parents, the selenic crystalwings are a delight to be around, even if they are always in the air. They offer guidance when the night is moonless and a feeling of safety when no one else is around. And most importantly, they always keep an eye on those traveling by night, keeping them safe from unknown dangers. The selenic crystalwings reach maturity only when the moon is full, and their eggs hatch only when the moon is new - some legends saying these creatures need the moon's blessing before they can begin a new stage in their life.
Helian Crystalwing
Found in the Stream
Egg:
There is a blazing gem embedded in this hot egg. An additional blazing gem is suspended between the two fiery horns that have already emerged.
Hatchling: no dimorphism
Description:
Spoiler
This hatchling's head and tail burn so bright that it hurts to look at directly, which makes caring for it a bit of a challenge. This is a bit of a problem, as it does not have complete mastery of its power over flames yet, and so it is often accidentally setting things ablaze with its tail, especially at midday, when its magic is strongest. Being around a helian crystalwing hatchling for too long, especially when the sun is out, also comes with unique risks, as they radiate an aura of optimism and certainty, which if left unchecked, can lead to some brazenly bad decisions. The best course of action for anyone raising a helian crystalwing hatchling is to also raise a selenic crystalwing at the same time, as the two will balance each other out and make caring for both much easier.
Description:
Spoiler
Helian crystalwings have great control over light and heat, as their name implies. Their powers likewise rise with the sun and are greatly diminished at night, though anyone foolish enough to threaten one will discover that they still are more than capable of defending themselves at night. The crystals on their bodies blaze like miniature suns, and are potent light and heat sources for years after being shed, making them useful for a wide variety of applications. Helian crystalwings have a passive aura that increases the confidence of all who are nearby, and as such they are particularly good companions for adventurers who need an extra shot of bravery. At the Keep, though, helian crystalwings are usually kept with selenic crystalwings so that the two breeds can temper each other's effects.
Selenic Eclipse Crystalwing
A hybrid between Helian and Selenic Crystalwings
Egg:
A deep red gem that seems to eat the light is set into this dark egg.
Hatchling:
Description:
Spoiler
The crystalwing hatchling that emerged from your egg is quiet and strange. Its red wings and gems half glow and half absorb light, so that to your eyes, it never looks quite right. In darker corners, it disappears altogether, the only hint of its presence a slight chill that's only partly physical. You've noticed ever since it hatched that you misplace things more often - but disturbingly, those around you act as if the things you've lost never existed at all. Your missing items usually turn up a few days later, but you can't shake the feeling that they’ve changed, somehow, yet you can also never quite figure out what's different.
Description:
Spoiler
While selenic and helian crystalwings exist in harmony and are often kept together to keep their powers balanced, breedings between the two are relatively uncommon, and for good reason. Perhaps due to the complimentary nature of their powers, their offspring tend to be uncanny in nature, their powers defined by absence. These eclipse crystalwings literally eat light, yet also exude it, existing always half in light and half in shadow, never quite part of either world. Selenic eclipse crystalwings in particular can erase things from existence for a time, and are both feared and respected as a result.
Adult selenic eclipse crystalwings are a beautiful yet eerie sight, always at least half in shadow, yet their wings always give off a soft red shine. They have the terrifying power to unmake things at will - removing things not only physically, but so thoroughly as to have never existed - and so these crystalwings have an ominous reputation. However, this power is usually temporary, with unmade things slowly reforming again both physically and in collective memory over the course of a few days. Things touched by their power are usually changed in some way, though it is usually difficult to categorize how due to the nature of the magic involved. The more memories there are of something existing, the more taxing it seems to be for a selenic eclipse crystalwing to unmake it, and so there are very few cases of this power being used on living beings, though tales of dark magi trying to abuse a selenic eclipse crystalwing's power, only to fall victim themselves, abound.
Adult selenic eclipse crystalwings are a beautiful yet eerie sight, always at least half in shadow, yet their wings always give off a soft red shine. They have the terrifying power to unmake things at will - removing things not only physically, but so thoroughly as to have never existed - and so these crystalwings have an ominous reputation. However, this power is usually temporary, with unmade things slowly reforming again both physically and in collective memory over the course of a few days. Things touched by their power are usually changed in some way, though it is usually difficult to categorize how due to the nature of the magic involved. The more memories there are of something existing, the more taxing it seems to be for a selenic eclipse crystalwing to unmake it, and so there are very few cases of this power being used on living beings, though tales of dark magi trying to abuse a selenic eclipse crystalwing's power, only to fall victim themselves, abound.
A hybrid between Helian and Selenic Crystalwings
Egg:
The edges of this egg seem to glow blue, yet the egg itself seems to eat all light.
Hatchling:
Description:
Spoiler
The crystalwing hatchling that emerged from your egg is quiet and strange. Its blue wings somehow glow on one end and consume light on the other, while its gems are voids edged with a hint of blue light, such that it never looks quite right. In darker corners, it disappears altogether, the only hint of its presence a slight chill that's only partly physical. You've noticed ever since it hatched that sometimes you don't feel things quite correctly, like there's a fog over all your senses, and on those days people quite literally walk through you before noticing your presence. You think you should probably be more disturbed by that, but you're a bit more preoccupied by how hard it is to see or feel anything at all.
Description:
Spoiler
While selenic and helian crystalwings exist in harmony and are often kept together to keep their powers balanced, breedings between the two are relatively uncommon, and for good reason. Perhaps due to the complimentary nature of their powers, their offspring tend to be uncanny in nature, their powers defined by absence. These eclipse crystalwings literally eat light, yet also exude it, existing always half in light and half in shadow, never quite part of either world. Helian eclipse crystalwings in particular have the power to fully remove something from perception, and are both feared and respected as a result.
Adult helian eclipse crystalwings are a beautiful yet eerie sight, always vaguely shining, yet nullifying all the light around them. They have the terrifying power to remove things fully from perception - an ability that sounds quite useful to thieves and assassins until they actually experience it. Helian eclipse crystalwings don't quite remove things from existence, but isolate them from all sensory interaction. Using this power on living beings seems to be more taxing on the crystalwing than on inanimate objects, and so the experience is rare and usually quite temporary, but the few documented human victims required significant time in recovery. While they can hide inanimate objects for longer, the effect still usually wears off after a few days for the smallest things, and more quickly for larger ones. Even so, stories of lost treasure hoards, carefully hidden by helian eclipse crystalwings, abound.
Adult helian eclipse crystalwings are a beautiful yet eerie sight, always vaguely shining, yet nullifying all the light around them. They have the terrifying power to remove things fully from perception - an ability that sounds quite useful to thieves and assassins until they actually experience it. Helian eclipse crystalwings don't quite remove things from existence, but isolate them from all sensory interaction. Using this power on living beings seems to be more taxing on the crystalwing than on inanimate objects, and so the experience is rare and usually quite temporary, but the few documented human victims required significant time in recovery. While they can hide inanimate objects for longer, the effect still usually wears off after a few days for the smallest things, and more quickly for larger ones. Even so, stories of lost treasure hoards, carefully hidden by helian eclipse crystalwings, abound.