Unicorns. What do we know about them and the Praxians who ride them?

[TRose]

 So a Eumal trickster goes to Heler for some sex change magic, then tries to ride a Unicorn.

[Byll]

Do we know anything about unicorns' mythic ancestry?

How (if at all) are they related to Hippogriff?

Why do they have curative powers?

[soltakss]

22 hours ago, TRose said:

 So a Eumal trickster goes to Heler for some sex change magic, then tries to ride a Unicorn.

Is he a virgin, though? You have to be a virgin female for a unicorn to let you ride it.

[soltakss]

7 hours ago, Byll said:

Do we know anything about unicorns' mythic ancestry?

How (if at all) are they related to Hippogriff?

Why do they have curative powers?

The excellent RQ Companion had a full writeup of unicorns, but I no longer have a copy.

[Evilroddy]

David Scott wrote"

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So 300 Yelornans. I'd say 90% have travelled the Unicorn Path to the Green Age and returned, so that's 270 Unicorns. The remainder have yet to do so, failed or their Unicorn has died. The others ride white horses so they look cool.

Why would the percent of Yelornams with unicorn allies be as high as 90%? Wouldn't allying a unicorn be something which only higher initiates or levels above had completed? Wouldn't most initiates be on the path to gaining a unicorn rather than already having one? I would argue that the number would be much lower than 90%. Perhaps as low as 10-30% depending on the magic and mythic resources of the Praxian tribe or company you examine. I'm interested in how you arrived at 90% and I readily admit that I am winging it with my guess-timations.

Thank you for your work and deep interest/knowledge in this topic. I have learned a lot from your posts above.

Cheers and good gaming.

Evilroddy.

[TRose]

7 hours ago, soltakss said:

Is he a virgin, though? You have to be a virgin female for a unicorn to let you ride it.

 Guess we are going to first define Virgin in this case. If he never had sex AS A FEMALE is he a Virgin?

  But this gave me an idea for a scenario. A Eumal Trickster uses Heler magic to turn himself into a female, joins the Yelornan cult and wins the heart of a Unicorn and becomes it rider.  And then turns back into a male.

 And the Cult of Yelorna is not amused by his joke and are threatening to turn him back into a woman and they don't plan on using magic, or even anesthesia . And he of course runs to the nearest Lightbringers for safety.

[Noita]

One of my pc's, a male follower of Raven, managed to jump on the back of a unsuspecting unicorn. He's presently getting scolded by his companions and they all seem to think he will lose his fertility for the act. His girl back home is already pregnant so he's lucky on that side.

A classic spur of the moment craziness on his part.

 

As for 90% of Yelornans having unicorns? A high number but I reckon the heroquest is important and heavily supported by the Tribe. The more Unicorns the better and each one contributes to the Wastes returning to what it once was. 

I imagine that when powerful unicorns walk, the ground under their hooves transforms momentarily to being fertile. Get a large enough herd and with some powerful quested magic I think a hidden Green Age field could be made or an Oasis made more fertile etc.

[David Scott]

8 hours ago, Evilroddy said:

Why would the percent of Yelornams with unicorn allies be as high as 90%? Wouldn't allying a unicorn be something which only higher initiates or levels above had completed? Wouldn't most initiates be on the path to gaining a unicorn rather than already having one?

4 hours ago, Iskallor said:

As for 90% of Yelornans having unicorns? A high number but I reckon the heroquest is important and heavily supported by the Tribe. The more Unicorns the better and each one contributes to the Wastes returning to what it once was. 

I don't think the numbers can another way - You need to have a Unicorn and there are 300 of them. For the Yelorna cult writeup in Big Rubble:

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To become a Unicorn Rider, an initiate must have a 90% skill in Unicorn Riding, be a virgin pledged to celibacy, and must obtain her own unicorn. Obtaining a unicorn usually involves a quest: the high priestess may give her counsel and her friends may aid her, but in the end the candidate must attract the unicorn alone

 

There is a lesser level of initiate called a Wanderer without a Unicorn. My argument for a high number is that they are a fighting unit with a counter in Nomad Gods, Unicorns are easier to obtain than normal in Prax due to its inherent connection with Genert's Garden and that Rick wanted more Unicorns.

Remember these Yelornans aren't the temple kind in the Rubble, they are tough Praxian women that have chosen to leave the Way of Waha and have their own tribe.

[David Scott]

6 hours ago, TRose said:

Guess we are going to first define Virgin in this case

Yelornans have a ritual of purification that makes you virginal once again

[Byll]

On ‎24‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 9:23 AM, David Scott said:

So 300 Yelornans. I'd say 90% have travelled the Unicorn Path to the Green Age and returned, so that's 270 Unicorns. The remainder have yet to do so, failed or their Unicorn has died. The others ride white horses so they look cool.

"It's not a white horse! It's a Palomino Zebra"