Oh yeah. So, continuing the apparent philosophical debate that Keris's souls are expressing by, um, making breeds of demon horse...
...
... okay, no, I can't skip over this one. Keris, why are your souls having some sort of obscure philosophical debate by making different kinds of demon horse? Are they all going to do this? Are we going to get night mares from Calesco when she shows up? Why
horses? I get that "holding a weird debate by making breeds of demon" is just a generally Third Circle sort of thing to do that proves you're getting the hang of being baby Unquestionable very fast, but why have this argument by making different kinds of steed?
Sigh. At least Dulmea appears to have decided that taking part would be beneath her. Or possibly isn't aware of it/doesn't have a stake in whatever the fuck they're debating about. And debating by making breeds of magical demonic horse is probably better than debating by firing giant burning pinecones [at the Moon]/[into the Ruin] (delete as appropriate).
So yeah, continuing this debate in response to Echo's anyaglo and Haneyl's farisyya (and possibly to show that
his horses would have done much better in that Wyld zone); Rathan has come up with the caelpans:
Caelpans, the Seafoam Statues
Demon of the First Circle
Progeny of the Martyred Moon
The armour of a caelpan is a decorative thing; soft and thin and fragile. Carved from creamy shell and rich red coral, it is not uncommon to find pearls or aquamarines set around the demon's face or the gold-lined holes left open above its joints and on its flanks or chest. Through these openings - some circular, others the crescent shape of a waning moon - it can be seen that the armour is hollow within; an empty golem in the shape of a slender human or a graceful stallion. The caelpan itself flows in through these holes, filling its home with its liquid form. When compressed inside its armour, the brine-body of a seaform statue is denser than steel and has pressure enough to crush stone to dust within itself. Water does not impede them in the slightest, and though slender, they are still surprisingly strong. They dare not risk combat in this state, though, for to fight would be to risk their precious shells and be bereft of beauty. To have its armour damaged or broken is a seafoam statue's nightmare, for such a tragedy would rob it of beauty and leave it naked and humiliated; exposed to the mockery of all.
When they must fight, a caelpan will protect its armour rather than the other way around. Their pressurised bodies expand out like a deep-sea blowfish to their true size and freeze into solid ice with their shells kept safe within. This leaves them enormous creatures; hippo-like in their bulk, but the speed of the transformation leaves the ice thick and gnarled; encrusted with spiked waves and frozen foam. Caelpans consider themselves hideous in this form, and hate to stay in it for long. Their loathing for their ugliness feeds their rage at the foe that forces them to show it, and so a caelpan in its battle form is a merciless berserker; aggressive to the point of madness. They are far faster than they look and can easily outpace a human over short distances, but away from water they tire easily and must soon retract themselves back into their armour.
Seafoam statues are born with only a single set of delicate armour; most often in the shape of a horse or a human. They seek to collect others - some by craft, some by trade and some by violence, even going so far as to take challenge their kin. Since the losers of such fights can be left with nothing to hide their hideous hulking forms, both participants will fight viciously, and the winner must often beat their foe almost to the point of death to subdue them. Sturdier armour is more difficult for them to come across, but is highly prized as long as it is beautiful - the caelpan who claims a suit of artifact plate is a prince among its people. Caelpans gain Limit whenever they are threatened with hideousness - either through damage to their armour or being forced to remain in their expanded forms for longer than an hour. When an empty suit of armour is filled with water, a caelpan may flow into it and add to its collection.
We can but wonder what statement he intends them to make.
(And yes, they are basically inspired by KSBD angels and the way they inhabit those cool armours. Plus the amusement of Rathan's water-horses being hippo-like: aggressive, territorial and much faster than they look over short distances.)
