Family: Dragon
Type: Dragon
Habitat: Forests, tropical
Disposition: Mischievous, energetic, curious, affectionate
Diet: Carnivorous; spirit energy
Rarity: Very Rare
Iridracons (ee-RID-reh-konz) are, for more than one reason, a rather unusual member of the dragon family. The most obvious of these reasons is their stature. While most members of the dragon family are known for being large and imposing, iridracons are by comparison diminutive in stature, rarely reaching the height of an average human woman under normal circumstances. In spite of their small stature there is nothing childlike about their appearance once they reach maturity. Another factor keeping them apart from most other members of the dragon family is the fact that they lack the pride and arrogance that is often attributed to that family of mamono. Instead, more often than not, iridracons exhibit mischievous and energetic personalities, acting like the wind that blows wherever it pleases. They often revel in playing pranks and investigating anything that catches their attention. Interestingly, though their love of pranks and mischief never quite goes away, there is usually a distinct shift in the types of pranks an iridracon is apt to play as they age, with juvenile pranks and humor making way for more sophisticated and often much more elaborate efforts as they age.
While iridracons are smaller in stature, the resemblance to other members of the draconic family remains very evident. Their bodies are still unnaturally strong and they often, but not always, possess sharp claws, a long, prehensile tail, and fey-like wings that allow them to fly at speeds and with a maneuverability that makes wyverns turn green with envy. The tradeoff to this is that they cannot maintain this extreme high performance for very long.
The most remarkable feature of iridracons is their scales, which are as tough as any of their cousins but are not of a single color. Rather, they are covered in iridescent scales that reflect all colors of the spectrum. Usually one particular color will shine through with greater intensity than the others, and this color indicates the age of the iridracon. As a freshly hatched whelp that color will usually be red. As she ages this color will shift roughly once every century, moving from red to orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and settling on violet. Violet will remain the dominant color for most of their remaining lives, though their scales will slowly grow darker and darker, finally turning black around one millennium of age. This iridescent color applies to their wings as much as it does to their scales and even their eyes. Age is also another factor in which iridracons are distinct from other members of the dragon family, who are usually known for exceptionally long lifespans. The lifespan of an iridracon rarely goes much past 1,000 years of age, though exceptions have been known to occur.
Almost without exception iridracons possess strong innate magical abilities. They tend to be particularly adept in magics aimed at confusing, bewildering, misleading, or charming their targets. This extends to their breath, which does not cause any direct damage but instead causes their victims to experience a rush of euphoria that results in spontaneous bouts of revelry or even causes their targets to simply walk off in search of a place to have some fun. If an iridracon is raised among her kin her mother or another member of her community will usually take her under their auspices and instruct them in the magical arts. Iridracons, unlike some other members of the dragon family, are unable to assume a true ancient form.
Iridracons prefer to live in forested areas, where they tend to build their abodes. They are not very territorial and enjoy the company of others, particularly that of their own kind. This means that, though iridracons are not a commonly encountered species, it is quite common to encounter more than one of them when encounters do take place. Their day-to-day routine often consists of hunting or preparing for some new mischief to pull and rarely carries them far from their homes. The exception to this rule is when the need for a mate becomes stronger than their inclination to maintain their usual lives or when a concrete opportunity presents itself. They also tend to be a very affectionate species that seek close physical contact with others. They love cuddling and will gladly do so with anyone they like, even if they are not lovers.
When trying to attract a partner iridracons rarely rely on sex appeal, but rather prefer worming their way into their chosen one’s life through energetic pursuit and good-hearted mischief that provokes their chosen one into taking the first step. When copulating with their lovers iridracons are adept at rubbing their surprisingly soft and smooth bodies against whatever areas they seek to inflict pleasure upon. Given their often magical nature many iridracons will have learned a trick or two to perform in the bedroom.
After securing a partner an iridracon will prefer to return to her forest home, if she even had to leave it, though she will typically be willing to accompany her lover to live elsewhere so long as that place is not located in a cold climate. If they return to her forest home they will soon proceed to build a home suitable to accommodate the lover’s needs or expand her old home to do the same. Usually they can expect the help of their community in the process. Iridracons are not jealous mamono; if their chosen lovers should agree they are often only too willing to share, especially with their own kind.
Name That Mamono: Fadyt, the Rabbit Slayer
Fadyt (FAH-dit) is an iridracon of short stature and slight build, though she possesses the thick horns and impressive wings befitting a member of the dragon family. Her scales, wings and eyes, in the process of shifting from indigo to purple as their primary color indicate that she is nearing 600 years of age and is about to enter the final stage of her life. Fadyt is not particularly bothered by that fact, given that she still has centuries ahead of her.
Fadyt is a powerful sorceress and makes her home in a large wooded area in southwestern Amarante. She is well known in her local community, which consists of less than a dozen iridracons and a few dozen other mamono. While she was born as part of that small community, Fadyt has actually spent almost 200 years mostly apart from her people, studying her craft, searching for a suitable husband, and creating plenty of mischief along the way.
While she has not succeeded in securing a husband Fadyt has deepened her skills at illusion, telekinesis, and oneiromancy to a considerable degree and now, after her return, finds herself as the most able practitioner of these arts in her little community. This fact has enabled her to quickly reassert herself among her people and display how her preferences for mischief have evolved over the years.
As a young woman, barely an adult, Fadyt entered into a competition of sorts with a local warren of rabbits. While the confrontation actually was quite instructive to her in the application of her considerable gifts, her solitary focus has yielded the nickname of the “rabbit slayer.” Fadyt is more than a little embarrassed to be called by that title, which is all the more reason for her kinfolk to tease her with it, both before she left and now that she has returned.
KUROHEBI
Family: Lamia
Type: Reptile
Habitat: Close to fresh water (near ponds, rivers, or lakes)
Disposition: Devoted, tempting, lustful
Diet: Carnivorous; spirit energy
Rarity: Very Rare
Kurohebi are among the larger mamono of the lamia family and distinguish themselves by having dark skin, the lower body of a black snake and, most commonly, stark black hair. Their personalities tend towards being lustful temptresses, and most of their kind feel a natural urge to corrupt others into lust and debauchery. When others behold them they are often given an impression of that corrupting influence. This influence inflames the passions of those who lay eyes upon them, causing a rise in lust and debauched thoughts. Particularly weak-willed individuals might even lose control of themselves altogether and fall to an incessant need to perform depraved acts right where they are. This trait leads to kurohebi being desired by those who are particularly concerned with filling their lives with all manner of lewdness and depravity.
Kurohebi tend to be very attuned to magic, and it is rare for one of them to be born without a natural aptitude for it -- hydromancy in particular tends to be their forte. Kurohebi also tend to feel a close connection with water in general and fresh water in particular. It is rare for one of them to live in an area far removed from rivers, lakes, or at least a large pond. Whether this connection stems from their close attunement to hydromancy or the other way around is not known.
As is typical of mamono most kurohebi feel a great desire for a human lover. When they find one that strikes their particular fancy they will go to great lengths to acquire what they desire, but unlike many other mamono kurohebi will almost never engage in outright rape. Instead they will closely observe and learn all there is to know about their target before they ever show themselves. Kurohebi have a tendency to be attracted to particularly virtuous men, perhaps as a contrast to their own corruptive tendencies. Such virtue, however, also means that the ones they pursue are not easily swayed by the debauched aura that surrounds them.
Only once she learns all she wishes to know will a kurohebi reveal herself and her intentions. Showering the man with love, devotion, and devilish temptation will quickly eat away at his steadfastness. While she will not forcefully initiate sex she will resort to fulfilling all of their intended lover’s secretly held desires to ensnare him. It doesn’t matter whether this involves cooking his favorite meal or coiling her long tail around him and wrapping him up tight. No matter whether it be through breathtaking dishes, by making him breathe in her intoxicating smell and feeling the luxuriously smooth feeling of both her scales and her skin, or through any other means she has uncovered in advance, the kurohebi is sure to use whatever means necessary to sway the one she has set her sights on. Few men can maintain their resistance in the face of such endless arousal and temptation for long, and soon he will desire sex just as much as his soon-to-be wife. Once caught in maddening lust the kurohebi’s husband will feel a desperate urge to embrace her in his arms -- a desperate urge that the kurohebi shares. Winding her smoothly scaled tail tighter around her husband makes him feel almost like his body is sinking into a warm, comforting morass. This comfort is greatly needed, as breeding sessions have been observed to last days at a time, and the kurohebi’s natural aptitude for hydromancy is sure to come in handy. The pleasure experienced during that time will cause the man to be utterly engrossed with his wife and wish to serve her needs and wants.
Kurohebi are not a particularly jealous kind of mamono as long as they receive plenty of their husband’s attention. In fact it has been observed that kurohebi are very likely to encourage their husbands to fling their seed far and wide. After all, a specimen magnificent enough to catch their attention surely should sire as many daughters as possible! To that end a kurohebi will often encourage her husband to engage in dalliances with other women of her choosing. Soon after finding a partner that particular desire will begin to swell into a mass of mana within the kurohebi. Though kurohebi are mostly attuned to water this mass of mana will manifest in the form of a flame that they seek to pour into their husbands. This “Fire of Desire” ignites the man’s body and mind from the inside and fills him with irrefutable lust. Most often this lust will be unleashed upon the kurohebi herself, but she might also direct it towards other women that she deems worthy of her husband's seed and essence. While this flaming desire greatly enhances a man’s vigor and physical strength it can only be quelled by the kurohebi herself or by those other partners she deems suitable.
This particular quality of theirs causes kurohebi to be looked at with suspicion by those mamono who vigorously prefer strictly monogamous relationships. Shirohebi in particular are known to seize their husbands and pour their flames of jealousy into them as a precaution if they have a notion that a kurohebi might be anywhere in their vicinity. Bicorns, on the other hand, have been known to enthusiastically seek out kurohebi and invite them to team up when forming a harem around their husbands... the only point of contention usually being the ideal number of partners.
Name That Mamono: Musmada
At first glance, Musmada (mooz-MAH-duh) has it all -- beauty, moderate wealth, talent, and skill in equal measure. She even possesses the thing that so many mamono spend much of their lives in search of; a husband all her own… or largely her own. But ever since the seduction of her virtuous husband, certain desires have been welling up within her. Her mother told her about the Fire of Desire she would one day manifest, yet she never expected it to feel quite as it turned out to be. She thought it would be entirely under her control. Once she’d even wondered if she would manifest those desires at all. But now, occasionally, Musmada will be overcome with the need to set her husband to task, not just satisfying herself, but another. It started out simply, almost as a way to lord over other mamono and show off her husband. But things quickly escalated from there. It became almost like a challenge. To find another mamono that her husband would have to work hard to seduce while she added the seductive effects of her lewd aura to his efforts, only to snatch him away again at last.
But now Musmada has been overcome with thoughts of another question. Between her Fire of Desire and a shirohebi’s Flames of Jealousy, which would win out? Musmada has thus far not formally added another woman to her husband’s harem, and the thought of making a shirohebi the first gives her intense thrills. It is a risk, of course, but the rewards seem quite agreeable to her.
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling
