Capricorn

 

Capricorns are a species of aquatic mammals in Eden which were created by the goddess Mira as her answer to her sister’s fearsome fire-breathing dragons. They have the head, torso, and forelimbs of a traditional Earthling goat, but have a fish tail where their hind limbs and rear end should be. They are also far larger than any goat this author has ever seen, rivaling a small horse in size. And it is for that reason that the capricorn is a sought-after mount throughout the waterways of the world.

 

That, and the fact that their icy breath weapon is one of the only surefire ways to combat the destructive power of dragonfire.

 

The capricorn’s greatest enemy is not the dragon, however. The sea goat’s greatest enemy is, in fact, dry land. A capricorn which lingers too long on dry land will lose all of its magical abilities and transform into a plain old goat, with no knowledge of its former life—a fate which no amount of re-immersion in water can deny.

 

Supernatural Abilities

Capricorns are excellent swimmers, but they are also capable of a kind of “flight” during rain storms. They are capable of exhaling an ice-cold breath weapon with a range of 30–60 feet And last but not least, they form telepathic and empathic bonds with any sapient being who mounts them—which sounds great, until you realize that a capricorn will try to drown any rider who brings bad thoughts, nasty feelings, or a disordered mind with them.

 

The capricorn is a persistent, practical, and incredibly sensitive creature, and it seeks nothing more—or less—than to rid the world of chaos and chaotic thinking.

Scientific Name
Capra maris
Lifespan
250–300 years
Conservation Status
Conservation Dependent
Average Height
42" at the withers
Average Weight
300–500 lbs

Comments

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May 29, 2023 03:42 by Chris L

Super fun. I love the bit where they turn into a normal goat, losing all their specialness, of they're on land too long!


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May 29, 2023 10:37 by E. Christopher Clark

Thanks! That bit was inspired by a bit of mythology I was reading about where that actually happens to the children of a sea goat.

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May 30, 2023 20:17 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Note to self - don't ride a capricorn when having a bad day. XD

Emy x
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May 31, 2023 00:38 by E. Christopher Clark

Hehe, right?!

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Jun 15, 2023 14:23

Thanks for taking part in the unofficial challenge!   Creativity: 4 Verisimilitude: 4,5 Presentation: 5   While there are a few mentions in the beginning, the article feels kind of disconnected. Challenges are a good opportunity to highlight some less explored parts of your worldbuilding. Especially with such an open theme, looking for something that's in a book you might want to share, or that's important to a key character will not just introduce new people to those, but also give the article more purpose.   What are some of the conflict or story hooks connected to the capricorn? Are there any famous members of the species, famous riders attached to them, tales of warning or other childhood tales? What are their places in cultures in the world?   There’s also a real contradiction in the article, specifically between these two lines:   “They form telepathic and empathic bonds with any sapient being who mounts them, which sounds great until you realize that a capricorn will try to drown a rider it doesn’t like in bad thoughts and nasty feelings.”   And…   “The animals have been found to help their riders sort through the messiest of internal struggles and destructive thought patterns and spirals.”   These two ideas seem like they would be directly at odds with one another. Where exactly is the line? How do they determine who’s worthwhile to help and who isn’t? And the last line about wanting to rid the entire world of chaos and chaotic thinking has the potential to lead down some grim paths. What do they do if they can’t help someone?   Take some time to think about what kind of role you want the capricorns to have. Are they feel good fantasy therapy animals, or are they capricious? Once you’ve decided, you can do an editing pass to make sure you’re consistent.  


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Jun 15, 2023 18:07 by E. Christopher Clark

Thanks for the feedback! This definitely needs further development, as it came together fairly last-minute for the challenge during a kinda dark/depressed period in my life. I hope you enjoyed at least parts of it.

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