Ben-San/Rabbits

The Lava Rabbit

The lava rabbit is a more-or-less ordinary-looking rabbit that lives in volcanic regions of the deep South. It is most often black or dark grey in color, although specklings of red or green are common. Brick-red lava rabbits are known but uncommon, and often considered a minor omen of good luck by humans living in the same areas.

The lava rabbit's main extraordinary feature is a complete immunity to heat and fire. Accordingly, it tends to live near volcanic activity, where great heat deters many predators. If given the chance, its preferred hiding place is just under the surface of liquid magma; the lava rabbit can hold its breath for a long time, and by poking its nose above the surface periodically may hide indefinitely in this manner. When it emerges, bits of magma will tend to stick in its fur and cool to rock; these combined with its natural coloration provide excellent camouflage in rocky environments. The lava rabbit feeds mainly on lichen, although bits of basalt nibbled out of its fur in grooming do not harm it and a small quantity aids its digestion.

Lava rabbits, particularly the 'lucky' red ones, are somewhat popular as pets for Fire-aspected Dynasts, as they are unharmed by the fiery anima banner. Their meat is edible and some enjoy it, although it must be eaten very fresh as it is impossible to cook. Lava rabbit pelts will not burn, and objects wrapped entirely in lava rabbit fur will only be moderately warmed even if engulfed in flame. However, in a cold environment the fur will quickly turn brittle and fall off the pelt, reducing its protective value greatly.

The Leap Rabbit

Native to mountainous regions of the North, the Leap Rabbit is usually white or pale gray, with many populations tinting blueish. Its fur is dense and thick, and its neck is short and thickset, giving it a slightly lumpy appearance. It has unusually long ears with a thick layer of fur on the back. These ears are usually bent back, curving downwards as they proceed due to their length and the weight of fur. The ears possess a 'crinkled' appearance normally; the rabbit is able to 'spread' the ears to a much broader width. Their fur sheds snow easily; during snowfall, especially in a new location, the rabbit will often create a temporary 'home' simply by wrapping its spread ears around itself and sleeping in the open, appearing as merely a small snowdrift. The leap rabbit typically subsists on small shrubs which thrive in the band between the tree line and the permanent snowcap of a mountain.

What makes the leap rabbit truly distinctive is its apparently instinctive ability to reduce its own weight. When severely panicked or when unable to find food within its normal foraging range, it reduces itself to near-weightlessness, leaps high into the air, and spreads its oversized ears to drift to another mountain on the ubiquitous frigid winds of the North. A given leap rabbit will probably only leap-and-glide a few times in its life, but the sight is memorable enough to have given the species its name.

Few people hunt the leap rabbit specifically, but many northern hunters will carry a small weighted net with which to catch one if it is spotted while hunting more valuable prey. Its pelt is one of several animal furs which is useful for its ability to shed snow, although its small size reduces its value in this regard. Its meat is as edible as any rabbit's, and a few regional cuisines utilize the ear either as an ingredient or a wrap within which to cook other foods. Leap rabbits are not popular pets, although there are always a few Dynasts willing to try; they become extremely agitated if confined, and if not confined they tend to fly away. Perhaps the best reason to catch leap rabbits is a paste made by boiling its liver with several other ingredients which, applied to the soles of the feet, renders a person weightless with regard to whatever the soles are touching. This is useful for such tricks as walking tracklessly on snow, walking on water, or even balancing on a breeze (a dramatic technique but inadvisable for the untrained, as it is hard enough to balance on something which shifts so quickly even when it is not invisible and prone to dissipating.) The paste is a relatively common recipe, likely to be known by characters with Occult ••• or better in regions where leap rabbits live. It keeps for a week or so in cold weather, longer if kept frozen (by burying in snow, for example) but spoils quickly in warm climates.

The Humble Messenger

This is one of a number of tales from the Immaculate Texts certified as suitable in vernacular translation for introducing children to the Word. It is both entertaining and educational to children, and the moral message is easily understood. It should nonetheless be treated with all due reverence as a tale of the war against the Anathema, and its correct recitation among the nobility is in High Realm, with a different instrument acting as musical accompaniment to each figure's voice and dramatic conventions observed at each stage of recitation. Like many tales of the Five Dragons, it is also told among heathens with another deity (often the Wandering Star, Mercury) standing in Mela's role. The form presented here is correct and truthful, although the language is as it might be presented to children of the lower middle classes. Obviously, any substitutions of character are heretical and untrue.

Before the war began that destroyed the Anathema, there came the planning, for war is no thing to be lightly undertaken. Many are the things that a perfectly-conducted war must have, and chief among them comes messengers. In Her planning, Mela considered that no mortal man could suffice to carry word among Her generals as swiftly as would be needed, while contrarily no Exalted man could be spared from battle to carry them. She resolved, therefore, that Her messenger must be found among the animals, and She went to speak to the kings of the swiftest and strongest animals - swift to carry the messages, and strong because the Anathema were sure to make devils to plague whoever She chose.

She first went to Gazelle, and spoke thus to him:

Glamorous and graceful gazelle,

Swift and sure in step and stride,

Horns you have, and hardened hooves,

Carry quickly and keep safe

Our missives, and you'll reap reward.

But Gazelle looked at Mela without respect, for he was a prideful beast, and said:

I, the princely Great Gazelle,

Risk hide and health for others' war?

Strong my hooves, and sharp my horns,

But a beastly bite could leave them shorn

There's little that I'd risk that for.

I will not help, but wish you well.

The proof of his cowardice lies heavily upon his children even today, for even with sharp horn and fierce hooves, he lights away with fear at the slightest hint of danger.

Mela went next to Cheetah, and spoke thus to him:

Cheetah, charming chevalier,

Swift and sure in step and stride,

Terribly tear your teeth and talons.

Carry quickly and keep safe

Our missives, and you'll reap reward.

But Cheetah looked lazily at Mela, and replied to her:

Swift am I, and swift to slay,

Strong, ferocious, quick as light,

And though I can run all day and night

Even so, your task I'll shirk.

I'd rather sleep and hunt for prey

Than demean myself to common work.

The proof of his laziness and pride lies heavily upon his children, too. Swift they remain, but they cannot and will not chase a prey for long even if they so wished it.

Then there came a voice from around Mela's feet, soft with awe and respect:

I am Rabbit, small and meek.

I mean no offense when I speak,

No horns have I, nor fangs nor claws.

But I am swift as I am weak.

And though I'm not quite what you seek,

Could great men's words ride humble paws?

Mela looked down kindly at Rabbit, and saw in him the desire to serve to his fullest ability. She replied:

Homely, humble, helpless hare,

Fleet of foot and fragile-framed,

Small and soft-skinned, so shall you

Carry quickly and keep safe

Our missives, and reap rich reward.

And so Rabbit became the Dragons' messenger in Their holy war, and served faithfully and without fear. So it was that as he had been promised, Rabbit received reward and blessing for his service, and his children may be seen thriving all through the world, humbly and unassumingly carrying out the roles which have been set to them.

Comments

This is awesome. Clearly, you need to stat out the vorpal version. :) -- IsawaBrian

• My original intention (I started fiddling with these long ago) was actually specifically to create interesting noncombat creatures to serve as local color with the limited possibility of acting as potentially useful resources or situationally-useful Heart's Blood forms. It's expanded somewhat since then, but don't expect any killer rabbits. I'm glad you think it's awesome, though. ;) -- Ben-San

This is indeed, "teh 4w3some!". Would you happen to already have the Wood aspected one written up anywhere? -- Somori