Finished this last night, but had to post it today because of how sleep deprived I was, I worked on it non-stop, my eyes hurt so bad, but I am glad how it turned out.
Hope you like it! ^^
Information on Validus.
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"A horse-okapi-camel-moose-hyena-rhino-musk deer hybrid animal. He gets his speed estimates from a camel, his fangs from the musk deer, horns from a rhino, antlers from a moose, head from a hyena, markings from an okapi and horse, and body shape from a horse. When I create fantasy creatures, I pick a bunch of different animals and combine their features rather seamlessly, and thus this guy was born. He's Adam's (my main character) mount in my novel Soothsayer. His name is Validus.
I'll post a breed sheet if anyone is interested, but for now here's a bit of info on his breed: Daelilo are strong and muscular, able to carry an elf on their back for days at a time without rest. Their endurance is immense, though their speed often suffers. Their top speed is 49 - 52 mph, which they can maintain for very short amounts of time. A more moderate, healthy pace, they can go up to speeds of 31 mph for a few kilometers before stopping.
The Daelilo are very intelligent but wary creatures, equally as smart and emotional as humans. They refuse to help humans without something in return - namely, companionship. Often when an Aelven child is born, they will be matched with a Daelilo who will be their mounts the rest of their life. When the rider has come of age, he receives a tattoo that is also cold-branded onto his Daelilo to show their eternal bond.
Daelilo are the only animals able to stand up to the vicious Belrum. The thick skin beneath their fur protects them from the Belrum's venom, also making it hard to penetrate and cause injuries. This is why they were originally used by the Aelven people, whose horses were constantly killed by the Belrum.
The Daelilo live in one of the harshest climates in the world, where it drops below freezing in winter and is scorching hot in summer. Because of this, they grow a very long, wooly coat in the winter to help keep them warm. This is often used to create clothes for the Aelfin people.
Male Daelilo are very territorial during mating season. They adorn their antlers - with the help of their rider - with shiny and colorful objects to impress potential mates. They more valuable the objects on their horns, the more likely they are to acquire a mate. However, antlers may be removed by the rider if going into battle, so that he can see above the antlers better. The fangs are also a sign of how healthy a male is; the larger they are, the more likely they'll attract a mate. When protecting his rider, mate, or children, male Daelilo will let out a startling, screeching noise to frighten and stun enemies, giving them time to either escape to launch an attack while the enemy is stunned. Females do not do this, nor do they have antlers or fangs. Once two Daelilo have chosen each other, they form a lifelong bond and mate for life. Average litter size is 1 - 2; litters of 3 have been recorded, but none survived.
Daelilo get their name from several places; one, the -ilo part of their name references to their butterfly-like markings. Both sides of the animal are always exactly the same, making them symmetrical and 'butterfly' in appearance."
