History
Samanayrs were first discovered in Tey'Shar just after the Founding of Shar, in a hotspring in the south. The first Song found was the Song of the Sapphire Springs, made up of blue Samanayrs. Sharians were very surprised to find a previously unknown species of sentient equines; their small size had kept them from discovery for a long time. Once the Sharians knew what to look for, though, they found many other Songs and hundreds of Samanayrs.
Anatomy and Appearance
Samanayrs are built like equines, with a little bit of dragon mixed in. They are very small, generally no higher than a foot at the shoulder (acout cat-sized). Body types can range from barreled and pony-like to slimmer, more draconic figure. Their limbs have amazingly long shins, which enables Samanayrs to move very swiftly.
One of the strangest features of a Samanayr is its feet. The hooves themself are not all that unusual, cloven, but right above their feet is always covered with thick, silky fur that makes it look as though they have huge feet with tiny hooves poking out. It is unknown why the foot-fur is like that, though some say it is because Samanayrs originated from the far north, and the fur was to keep their feet warm. Samanayrs also stand very easily on their hind legs, and can even walk rather well, though they prefer all fours.
The coloring of Samanayrs varies greatly, with everything from traditional horse colors like bay and palomino, to chromatics and metallics such as silver and red. Originally Songs were made of only one color of Samanayr, so there has not been very much blending of colors, but with the forming of the Song of the Rainbow, this will definitely be changing. Markings tend to be completely random, though a foal will usually inherit something - be it a color or marking - from each parent.
Habitat
Samanayrs did, in fact, originate from the far north, and so are used to harsh, cold conditions. But when they came a bit farther south, they discovered things like hotsprings and deserts, and quickly became heat lovers.
Samanayrs for the most part live in and around a hotspring. The spring tends to be the Song's main base, with a large area around it being the Song's territory. Because Samanayrs require grazing and foraging, they can only live in hotsprings in forested areas. The largest concentration of Samanayrs can be found in the Forest of Silver Mists, in the south, which is full of hotsprings.
When there are not enough hotsprings to go around, some Songs will live in deserted areas, but most others live in rainforests. They live on the forest floor, ever wary of danger, and forage on fruit and leaves that fall from the canopy, and mushrooms. Samanayrs that live in rainforests tend to be very elusive and shy, and extremely wary of humans.
If a Samanayr is fostered, it cannot be put in an artifical enviroment such as a stable or enclosure. It needs to live in a place that is lightly forested, and if at all possible with a hotspring nearby. Usually a mage will be called in to make a spring, if there is not already one available or the fosterer is a make themself. Samanayr enjoyed sculptured pools that are fed by the spring, and some fosterers make complex systems of waterfalls, tiny streams, and pools that are all hotspring-fed.
Diet
Having come from the tundras to the north, Samanayrs can eat pretty much any kind of flora, so long as it is not poisonous. But while they can eat anything, they don't particularly want to. Samanayrs can be very picky eaters, especially when fostered.
Samanayrs in the wild love new green grass, berries of any kind, nuts that they crack open with their sharp hooves, and a startling variety of leaves. They also love anything sweet, and sometimes carefully peel away a tiny strip of bark to get at sap. They also enjoy tender shoots and seedlings, though they are careful of just how many they eat.
Fostered Samanayrs also eat the same foods, but also receive added treats. Samanayrs will sample pretty much anything as long as it isn't meat, and sometimes get in trouble for going through a prized garden and taking samples of everything. They absolutely adore fruits, and some particularly pampered Samanayrs will receive tiny fruit tarts baked especially for them. There is a saying that goes, "Feed a Samanayr a fruit and it will be your friend for life." This is quite true of all Samanayrs.
Songs
Samanayrs live in herds that are called Songs. Each Song has a lead stallion and sometimes a second stallion, and anywhere from two to ten mares. A Song is a very close-knit group, extremely protective of each other, and very territorial. Though they never attack other Songs, Samanayrs make it very clear where their territory is, and will drive away intruders with a Song of Anger, which must always be obeyed.
Each Song has its own unique music, which is sung by the Song members to identify themselves. They also integrate parts of their song into their daily speech, so even if a Samanayr doesn't say which Song it is from, you can guess from the different notes it slips in, or its 'accent.'
Communication
Samanayrs originally communicated through music. They can produce an amazing variety of vocal noises, not all melodious, and have a wide vocabulary of trills, notes, chirps, whinnies, pipings, trumpetings, and other such noises. Though the basic vocabulary is the same, it varies somewhat between Songs.
Samanayrs have learned to speak Sharianese, the Sharian language, and Marionese, the human language, though they have a rather strange accent. They pronounce R's as if they were written as YR, so that a word like 'are' will become 'ayre.' Some find this accent difficult to understand, especially if a Samanayr is speaking with a lot of R's, but it is pretty easy to pick up.
Foals
Foals are born in late spring, always after all the snow is melted. Mares usually only give birth to a single foal, but there have been rare cases of twins. Foals are very long limbed, and born with small foot-tufts of fur.
Foals stay within the protection of their birth-Song for two years before striking out on their own. Foals always leave their birth-Song so that there is little inbreeding. Colts and fillys will form their own seperate bachelor Songs, called Youth Songs, until they each find a more permenant Song to join.
When a foal is going to be fostered out, it stays with its dam in the Song until it's at least a year and a half old, but the fosterer can come can visit their charge-to-be whenever they want.
The Naming of Foals and Songs
Foals are always named by their mothers, when they are a year old. Before they are named, they are just called "colt of so-and-so" or "filly of so-and-so." They leave the naming for this long because the names are strongly based on their adult personalities.
All Samanayrs have two names; the truename, which is the one that the dam gives, and the callname, which is what they are called day-to-day. The callname is just a shortened and easier to use form of the truename. When meeting strangers, Samanayrs may give both the truename and callname, or just on or the other.
Samanayr names are arranged thus; *something* of the *something* *something*. Samanayr names vary widely, sometimes reflecting a Samanayr's color or personality, and sometimes they seem to have no relation to the Samanayr at all!
The names of Samanayrs are by no means as uniform as they appear above, this is just a basic way of explaining it. And besides, it you are going to foster, you won't have to worry about this anyway, because it is the dam that names the foal!
Other Samanayr Species
Species name: Lamanayr
Origin: Appeared at around the same time as the Samanayrs, though there are noticibly fewer Lams.
Special traits: Tufted tail and tuft mane, wings (most common are feathered, draconic, or faery)
Special markings/colors: Pure black eyes
Abilities: Flight?
Availability: Less common than Samanayrs but still widely available.
How to breed:A Lamanayr is only considered a full Lamanayr if it results from a breeding of two full Lamanayrs. If it doesn't exhibit all the necessary traits, it is considered a Samanayr-Lamanayr cross.
Notes: It is thought that Samanayrs and Lamanayrs were originally the same creature, but somewhere far in the past the original species was altered to create the other. This alteration was magical in nature, as it didn't happen long enough ago to mean that it evolved naturally. It is guessed that Samanayrs were the originally species, and that certain traits were added and altered for the Lamanayrs.
Species name: Mystic
Origin: After peaceful coexistance for a long while, long enough for mutual trust to build, the Sharians created Mystics for the Songs.
Special traits: A very long strand of hair growing from behind each ear (called the mystic strands). Name is always 'Mystic of the (something) (something),' with the last two words referring to their magic type. For example, Mystic of the Living Earth controls earth magic, allowing her to find good grazing areas and also grow plants.
Special markings/colors: The color of the mystic strands reflects the kind of magic the Mystic controls
Abilities: Mystics each control a particular magic type, the most common being earth, air, fire, and water. Some control more than one. All Mystics are also slightly clairvoyant.
Availability: Available rarely, but offered in draws and the like.
How to breed:Two Mystics will always produce Mystic offspring, who in turn inherit either one parents' magic type or both (in rare instances, a new type may be created). If a Mystic breeds with a non-Mystic, there is only a small chance that the resulting offspring will be Mystics.
Notes: Some Mystics will remain with one Song, but most travel between the Songs, helping where they can. A Song with a resident Mystic is considered to be very powerful, and will often get the best grazing areas when they are in dispute.
Species name: Misery
Origin: A breeding experiment gone wrong, the first Miseries were bred by crossing a Sa'krien and a Mystic. Miseries have strived to expand their numbers ever since, and several more have resulted from Sa'krien and Mystic unions.
Special traits: A mane that runs down the neck and back, joining up with the tail. Name is always 'Misery of the (something) (something),' with the last two words referring to their magic type.
Special markings/colors: The color of the mane reflects the kind of magic the Misery controls.
Abilities: Miseries each control a particular magic type, the most common being earth, air, fire, and water. Some control more than one.
Availability: Very rare.
How to breed:A Misery is produced when a Sa'krien (usually a stallion) is crossed with a Mystic (usually a mare). The Mystic is rarely consentual. Miseries try to breed as often as possible, but it's very difficult for them to find willing partners - normal Samanayrs do not want to add to their numbers, and Miseries cannot stand the company of each other, seeing each other as rivals.
Species name: Northern
Origin: These Samanayrs appeared out of the distant North rather recently, finally aware of the truce. They are now finding homes in warmer climates.
Special traits: Very long and fluffy fur. Usually have short legs and large hooves.
Special markings/colors: Very pale coloration, mostly white, greys, and pale blues.
Abilities: N/A
Availability: Still rather rare, but available occasionally.
How to breed:A true Northern is only produced when a Northern is bred with a Northern. Hybrids are becoming more common now - Northern Lamanayrs, Northern Mystics, and so forth.
Species name: Aboreal
Origin: These Samanayrs came down from the jungle canopy one day, more or less. Another late-arriving species.
Special traits: Long, prehensile tail, curved claws instead of hooves.
Special markings/colors: Generally 'foresty' colors - greens, browns, etc
Abilities: N/A
Availability: Very rare - only a half-dozen or so in existance
How to breed:A true Aboreal is only produced when an Aboreal is bred with an Aboreal.
Species name: Elemental
Origin: The origin of these strange Samanayrs is still uncertain - some say the Sharians had a hand in their creation, and others think they occur naturally.
Special traits: An Elemental Samanayr displays physical traits related to its element. For example, a Fire Elemental Samanayr has a mane and tail of flame, an Earth Elemental Sam might have a vine and flowers growing from its back, and so on. Which traits are expressed varies widely from Elemental to Elemental. The eyes are always pupiless. An Elemental's name is always a single word, such as Flame or Wave.
Special markings/colors: See above.
Abilities: An Elemental Samanayr controls magic related to its element. For some of the more odd elements - Vampire Elemental, for example - these magical abilities can become rather odd. These guys are basically dripping magic.
Availability: Very rare, particularly the 'unique' elements.
How to breed:Some Elementals are unable to breed due to.. physical limitiations. Magic can sometimes be a factor if these Elementals truly want to reproduce. An Elemental will always occur when two of them are bred, and a partial Elemental occurs when only one of the parents is Elemental. New Elements seem to occur spontaneously and through breedings.
Species name: Samanayr'sa'krien
Origin: A failed experiment of the human mages, like the Amanayr'sa'kriens, the sa'kriens are bloodthirsty and territorial little critters. They were created magically.
Special traits: At least one horn, and talons or long claws instead of hooves. Many of them are also omnivores or full carnivores, with sharp little teeth.
Special markings/colors: Horns, eyes, and talons are always blood red.
Abilities: N/A
Availability: Somewhat rare.
How to breed:Um, carefully? These guys are generally not popular, due to their temperment and tendency to lash out at potential mates. The occasional sa'krien comes along that can stand to breed with other Samanayrs, but the question is, are the other Samanayrs even interested..?
Species name: Integrated
Origin: Again, these Samanayrs started appearing after contact with the Sharians, and are created with their help by way of magic.
Special traits: An Integrated is basically a regular Samanayr that has at least one non-organic body part, sometimes several. These parts can be made of a variety of materials - glass, wood, metal, etc.
Special markings/colors: N/A
Abilities: N/A
 
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