Unicorn

Of the many, many varieties of equines that inhabit Equasia’s wilderness, about half are Equus magi unicornis. Unicorns have populated Equasia for millennia (which makes one wonder how the Tenebrae came to be formed). It is often suspected that the legendary horse Equus, who first established the connection between humans and horses, was a unicorn, and she is often portrayed as such (though this may be because she was thought to live in the Lightlands, which is populated mainly by unicorns in modern times).

Despite the significant differences between unicorns and horses that live in the “Norm” (a non-magical world where the majority of humankind resides), there is very little difference between most unicorns and other Equasian horses. One difference is that, although unicorns are the same size and as horses, many kinds of unicorns have more delicate body frames than horses, making them resemble deer or antelopes. There is also one key behavioral difference between horses and unicorns: Horses are naturally social creatures that reside in herds. Unicorns are not. Their mannerisms are sometimes closer to those of deer than of horses. You are more likely to see a solitary unicorn in a glade than a whole herd of them thundering across the hills. Unicorns can and do live in herds, but they tend to be smaller.

It is unknown how long unicorns and horses have coexisted in Equasia, or anywhere else. Some wizard scholars believe that horses and unicorns were distinctly separate beasts. It’s possible that deer-like unicorns interbred with ordinary horses to create the distinctly horselike unicorns and magical horses that inhabit Equasia today. However, other kinds of unicorns- most notably the karkadann- are as heavy as draft horses. Some believe that Equasia was originally populated by unicorns and that horses were brought to Equasia by wizards. This is unlikely if the Tenebrae have existed in Equasia longer than humans have; no true unicorn would ever voluntarily become a Tenebra. These theories also exclude the evolution of pegasi and hippocampi, which are certainly both horselike and distinct species of their own.

The most obvious and significant difference between unicorns and Equasian horses are the unicorns’ horns and the abilities that they provide. An alicorn is a unicorn’s horn. They are almost always silver, gold, white, or black. Occasionally they might be other colors (such as red, green, or blue) but this is uncommon. Unicorn horns can have a left- or right-handed helix, and have very distinct spiral bands (more like an auger shell than a narwhal tusk). They shed these horns, sometimes as often as once a year (the horns can then be used in potion making, as drinking cups, etc. though because they are no longer attached to a unicorn, they will eventually run out of magic). The horns have many magical properties. All unicorns can purify water, heal injuries, and cure sicknesses. Unicorn horns are reliable poison detectors and will nullify the effects of poison. They will also kill poisonous animals.

Unicorns can be any color and have a variety of patterns. They inhabit every single Wild Land, most notably the Lightlands.

Thunderlands

 * Karkadann
 * Storm Unicorn
 * Mountain Unicorn

Windlands/Silvertail

 * Winged Unicorns
 * Silvertail Forest Unicorn

Firelands

 * Igneous Unicorn
 * Flamedancer
 * Firefoot Unicorn

Shadowlands/Wildwoods

 * Celestial/Starlight Unicorn
 * Forest Dweller

Aqualands

 * Unicorn Hippocampus
 * Freshwater Unicorn

Lightlands

 * Lightlands Unicorn
 * Lumengard Unicorn

North Mountains Unicorns

 * Frostwing
 * Ice Unicorn