#sc lorebook

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook: Pegasus Foals & Nesting Behaviors Masterpost

Broadwings and shortwings

Nesting - 

Broadwings tend to nest deep within dark hardwood forests where the trees are dense and the forest floor is clear of most underbrush. Oddly, many broadwings tend to prefer stands of Hemlock, Cedar, or Balsam. No one is quite sure why they gravitate toward those species when other hardwoods stands also could make for good nesting grounds. 

A mare will dig a shallow trench around their nest, and push that dirt up to form a ring. Inside the ring, the lay their eggs and then will cover the eggs with their wings. 

Mares nest alone, and return to their nesting site for each clutch, usually every 2-3 years. They tend to lay 1-3 eggs. 5 is the maximum and is quite rare.  Old nesting sites have naturally cultivated a growth of grasses in the shallow trench, which helps mares get through the incubation period.

After their chicks hatch, they are led out to a nursery meadow; often a high mountain meadow, sheltered with natural rock arches, or with a deep, old forest at hand.

Shortwings are similar, but are less picky about where they nest. Often, shortwings nest in large colonies, and mares don’t seclude themselves, so there is safety in numbers. The size of each clutch is comparable to broadwings. 

Broadwing and Shortwing Foals - 

Broadwing and shortwing foals are born rather small in comparison to real-world horses, as they hatch from eggs. They are fluffy; covered in down, with stubby wings that must mature and be fledged before flight. 

This process takes about a year, if not longer, so safe nesting grounds and nursery meadows are ancestral, and used annually. Foals are awkward and scraggly for quite some time as their adult feathers grow in.

Once the foals are fledged, they strengthen their wings and eventually take to the air to move on to pastures in lower valleys. Though their wings are fledged, they will continue to grow and mature for the next several years until they are fully grown at around 7 years. 

Longwings

Nesting - 

Longwings are unique from broadwings and shortings. They mate for life, and raise one foal per season. They nest either in dense colonies on flat, open ground, or in separated pairs on precarious cliffsides. Both strategies aimed at avoiding predators. 

Foals - 

Curiously, their foals are born as live young, rather than laid as eggs and incubated. Longwing foals are born with practically all of their wing feathers, aside from the crucial long flight feathers. They will gain these feathers over a rapid growth period of only a few weeks.

When the foals do have their flight feathers, they race down the sloped cliffs of the nursery island toward the sea during the strong afternoon headwinds. The mother pegasus guides the foal, and the father protects from airborne predators or other pegasi competing for the limited space. If the foal is successful, the three will land in a few hours at a less crowded island. If the foal fails, it will fall into the sea and is in real danger of drowning or being caught by sea predators.

Ranchers in general will often wait for these windows of nesting to capture foals, mares, or even stallions to tame. Broadwing ranchers will often set up their facilities near ancestral nesting grounds and nursery meadows. Holli Matalutke does just that, and has cultivated a strong herd that lives in those safe meadows nearly all year-round.

- Lauren 

--

Sky Cowboys Lorebook  |  Patreon  |  Sky Cowboys Discord

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook - Blizzard Broadwings

These pegs are snowy white with shoulder speckles, and are fluffy to the max. They endure some of the harshest winters on the planet, occupying both northern tundra regions, and very high elevations in remote mountain areas. They're specially adapted to live in winter climates with grooved soles, and windpipes that warm the frigid air before it reaches the lungs. The mountain variety use their wings to traverse the steep slopes, whereas the tundra variety often has to tuck them close to avoid being blown away by strong arctic winds.

Happy holidays :) 

--

Patreon  |   Discord

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook - Longwing Nesting

Longwings do not incubate eggs. Curiously, mares give birth to a single foal. The foal then goes through a rapid growth process. Over the course of only a few weeks, the foals grow their flight feathers and are able to join their parents over the open sea.

Longwings tend to nest in large colonies to help avoid predators. Some breeds migrate over large expanses of grasslands during the foaling season, much like wildebeest do. During the foaling season, all longwings are effectively grounded to take care of their young until the foal can fly. Mankind and predators alike often take advantage of this time to capture pegasi to tame, or to take one down as a prized meal for the pack.

Once foals have their flight feathers, they find a cliffside with a long runway. The foals race down the runway into a headwind and ideally lift off before the cliff's edge. The dropoff gives them room to gain lift if need be. The parents glide alongside to guide and protect.

--

Patreon  |  Discord Server

[skycowboys]

A banded heeler broadwing mare prepares her nest, incubates her eggs, then leads her chicks out of the forest. With an uncommon clutch of 5 healthy chicks, she will have her work cut out for her.

SC Lorebook:

“Broadwings tend to nest deep within dark hardwood forests where the trees are dense and the forest floor is clear of most underbrush. Oddly, many broadwings tend to prefer stands of Hemlock, Cedar, or Balsam. No one is quite sure why they gravitate toward those species when other hardwoods stands also could make for good nesting grounds. Mares nest alone, and return to their nesting site for each clutch.

Clutches are usually only 1-3 eggs, though mares can lay up to 5. Normally, only 1 or 2 chicks make it to adulthood.”

-- See art early on Patreon  |  SC Discord

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook: Handling Young Longwings

Young, fully fledged longwings tend to be quite the handful. They’re full of energy, and are fairly headstrong. Their long wings can be especially dangerous. Generally, young longwings are tied until flight training. If not, they can easily knock a pilot out.

"No no, you don't get it, do you? Your little shortwing colts, they buck a bit and sometimes you get kicked. You might crack a rib or break your arm. Big deal. These longwing youngsters? You get hit with one of them wings and you're on your back for a few days at least, and if you still have teeth in your head, you're lucky. Why do you think we try to pin 'em first?" @inkfire-scribe​

--

From my daily pegasi for Patreons

Patreon | Discord

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook - Short-Crested Downy Broadwing

Stripe-Crested Downy Broadwings are based on Fjord horses. They come in limited range of colors: from palomino to silver dun. Their crests are characteristically striped. Each feather down the center, creating a stripe down the center of the whole crest. Their legs/knees generally also tend to be darker like a buckskin. These are adapted to the colder regions, but are not quite as hardy as the blizzard broadwing. Short-crested downys make wonderful cold-climate work horses, though, due to their amiable personalities and modest size. 

--

Patreon  |  Discord 

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook - Showshoe Broadwing

These pegs are named for their unique foot feathering. Many arctic broadwings are characterized by their short, rounded crests, heavily feathered feet (literally!), and thick, usually shaggy coats that are often mixed with down feathers throughout the body. This peg is no different. They thrive on tundras with short summers. 

Happy New Year!!

--

Patreon  |  Discord

[skycowboys]

SC Lorebook: Scrapwings

They’re scrawny brushland pegs, mostly flightless. Very similar to equines like the Mongolian Wild Ass. Unable to be domesticated, too small to ride/put to work and are very feral. They live in the harsh environments normal pegs wouldn’t be able to. They’re a main staple for predators like bush cats.

--

Patreon | Lorebook