Mare (MAIR)

The mare, as the reanimated human halves of centaurs, possesses a unique and eerie anatomical structure that distinguishes them from both humans and centaurs. Their form is unsettling, embodying the twisted remnants of their former existence.
The upper torso of a mare bears a close resemblance to a human's, but it is marred by a ghostly, pallid complexion. They have a pair of bony, elongated arms ending in claw-like, skeletal hands. These hands lack the grace and dexterity of their former human counterparts, resembling more like appendages of torment. Below the waist, the mare's form undergoes a grotesque transformation. Where a centaur would have a powerful equine body, the mare's lower half is characterised by a vaporous and ephemeral quality. Instead of legs, they possess a formless, amorphous mass of shadowy substance that gives them an eerie, spectral appearance.
The mare's skeletal structure in the upper torso remains mostly intact, albeit marked by decay and a sinister presence. Their arms are bony and elongated, seemingly skeletal in nature, while the lower half lacks any identifiable skeletal structure, appearing as a shifting, smoky void. Muscular structures are faintly visible in the upper torso, but they are feeble and atrophied, having lost the vitality and strength that once characterised the centaurs. The lower half lacks any muscular definition, further emphasizing its ethereal and intangible nature.
The internal anatomy of the mare is a mysterious and macabre blend of remnants from their former centaur existence and the supernatural essence that now animates them. While their physical forms appear decayed and twisted, they retain a few vestiges of their previous biological structures.
Since the heart of the centaurs resides in their equine half, the mare does not possess a heart. Instead, the malevolent energy that gave rise to the mares runs from the shadowy mist at their waist through the open veins into the body, reanimating and moving it in the process. The mare's brain, although decayed and twisted, retains a semblance of its former function. It serves as the focus point for their sinister supernatural abilities, enabling them to invade the dreams of humans and induce nightmares.
The mare's internal organs no longer serve the conventional biological purposes they once did. Instead, they are conduits for the malevolent energy that empowers the mare, allowing them to move in an unsettling and unnatural manner, defying the laws of physics and anatomy; manifest in the human world as a haunting presence during the dark hours of the night; interact with the dreams and subconscious minds of humans, causing terrifying nightmares; project their eerie, shadowy forms onto the physical world, often appearing as a spectral, wraith-like figure sitting on the chest of their victims.
The source of this dark energy that powers the mare's abilities remains a chilling enigma, a grim testament to the unnatural transformation that befell the centaurs in the wake of their tragic demise. It is a power born from the twisted fusion of their reanimated human halves, corrupted by the malevolent forces of their unresolved fate.

The creation of mares, like ghouls and banshees, is a result of supernatural and magical forces rather than conventional biological reproduction. Mares do not propagate through mating or reproduction in the traditional sense. Instead, their existence is closely tied to the powerful emotions and raw magical energy that permeated the Plains of Rohesia during the violent battle between the centaurs and the hunters and poachers.
The first step in the creation of a new mare involves the accumulation of intense and negative emotional energy within the Plains of Rohesia. This energy is primarily born from the suffering, anguish, and despair of the centaurs who fell in battle and the indignity of their unburied corpses. Over time, this emotional energy begins to coalesce and concentrate, reaching a critical point where it gains a rudimentary form of sentience. This sentient energy entity becomes aware of the injustice done to the centaurs and their land. The sentient energy entity, seeking to address the wrongs suffered by the centaurs, manipulates the severed human halves of the centaurs left behind after their deaths. Using its magical abilities, it reanimates these human halves, giving them a spectral existence and imbuing them with a malevolent purpose. Once reanimated, the human halves become the mares, bearing the essence of the emotional turmoil and suffering that fueled their creation. They are transformed into supernatural entities with the ability to torment humans at night by causing breathing difficulties and inducing horrifying nightmares.
In essence, the mares are a product of dark magic intertwined with the intense emotions and suffering experienced during a significant event in the Plains of Rohesia's history. Their creation process is a grim reminder of the consequences of violating the sanctity of the land and the centaurs who guard it.

The non-biological growth stages and rates of the mare are intimately tied to the supernatural and magical forces that give them existence. The growth and existence of mares are unconventional and entirely reliant on supernatural processes. They do not experience biological growth stages or ageing, remaining eternal and unchanging as supernatural beings born of dark magic and intense emotions.

Creation and Awakening:
The mares come into being through a unique and supernatural process. Their "birth" is marked by the manipulation of the severed human halves of the centaurs who fell in battle. This process occurs over a period of time during which the emotional energy in the Plains of Rohesia accumulates and gains sentience. The mares are essentially "awakened" by this sentient energy entity, becoming aware of their malevolent purpose and connection to the suffering of the centaurs. There is no conventional growth rate or biological development involved in their creation.

Existence as Supernatural Entities:
Mares do not undergo traditional growth or ageing as living beings do. Instead, they exist as supernatural entities from the moment of their creation, with a fixed and unchanging form. Their abilities and powers are already fully developed upon their awakening, and they do not experience physical or mental changes over time.

Continual Existence:
Once created, mares are effectively immortal and do not undergo any natural life stages, such as maturation or ageing. They persist in their spectral and malevolent form indefinitely, as long as the emotional energy of the Plains of Rohesia continues to sustain them. Their existence is closely tied to the land and the raw magical energy that brought them into being.

The mares, as a demonic species born of intense negative emotions, find their ecological niche in the haunting and mystical landscape of Morana, the Demon Continent. Morana's ecosystem is a tapestry of darkness, death, and undeath, perfectly suited to the nature of the mares. These spectral beings, created from the reanimated human halves of brutally slain centaurs, thrive amidst the supernatural and eerie surroundings that define their homeland.
Mares are most commonly encountered in regions where the energies of the Living and Dead Oceans converge, particularly in the enigmatic Abandoned Bay. This convergence of energies, combined with the dense cloud cover that perpetually shrouds the continent, creates an environment that resonates with the eerie essence of the mares. Here, they find a balance between their spectral origins and their malevolent nature.
The optimal habitat for mares is the Forgotten Shore, a desolate expanse sprawled amidst the Forsaken Range and the Horned Mountains. This solitary landscape, with its barren beauty, serves as a haunting canvas for the mares' spectral presence. The Styx River, tainted by demonic magic, winds its way through this region, providing a source of energy that sustains both the mares and the spectral flora that blooms alongside the riverbanks.
Mares are often seen perched atop the forsaken ruins of ancient structures, serving as eerie sentinels amidst the desolation. They are drawn to the echoes of suffering and despair that linger in these abandoned places, their presence amplifying the sense of foreboding that permeates Morana.
The mares are spectral entities deeply intertwined with the supernatural essence of their homeland, which has moved from the Plains of Rohesia to the continent of Morana. They thrive in regions where the boundaries between the living and the dead are blurred, finding their ecological niche amidst the eerie beauty of the Demon Continent's desolate landscapes and mystical convergences of energy.

Mares do not feed on biological produce such as meat or plants, but rather on the negative emotions caused by their nightmares. Being created by such negative emotions during the Great Battle of the Plains, they are their way of gaining sustenance and replenishing the malevolent energy that keeps them moving and powers their frightening abilities.
Due to their undead nature, mares do not need to consume sustenance as often as living beings do. Instead, during the Eclipse Season on Morana, the influence of the Eclipse Zephyr prompts them to become more aggressive and migrate to Elentiya and torment a few humans with nightmares. The mares then feed off the negative emotions that these nightmares cause, gaining enough nourishment to last them a couple of years. Only very rarely will the mares move to Elentiya during the other seasons.

The biological cycles of the mare species in Morana are intricately connected to the unique seasons of the Demon Continent. While mares are not biological creatures in the traditional sense, their spectral existence is influenced by the supernatural rhythms of Morana's seasons.

Shade Season
During the Shade Season, mares experience a heightened sense of activity. The dark and misty Shade Rain that falls over Morana revitalises their spectral essence, akin to nourishment. While mares do not require sustenance as living creatures do, the Shade Rain cleanses and rejuvenates them, allowing them to be more active and formidable in the upcoming seasons.

Dusk Season
In the Dusk Season, mares undergo a subtle shift in their behaviour. The gradual dimming of light and deepening of shadows evoke a sense of introspection and sombre reflection among the spectral beings. Mares may become more contemplative during this season as if attuned to the environment's mournful mood.

Eclipse Season
The Eclipse Season brings a numbing cold known as the "Eclipse Zephyr" to Morana. This season has a profound impact on the mare species. They become more aggressive under the influence of the zephyr, prompting them to migrate to Elentiya to torment the inhabitants more than usual.

Twilight Season
The Twilight Season is a calmer season for the mares. As the influence of the Eclipse Zephyr lessens, they return to Morana, often seen perched upon cliffs overlooking the Abandoned Bay or near spots of heightened ghostly activity.

Fullmoon Season
The Fullmoon Season represents a time of balance and unity on the Demon Continent. Mares are the calmest during this season, with barely any of them moving to Elentiya to torment the human inhabitants there.

Mares are generally tranquil creatures, not moving about much and mostly found upon the cliffs of Morana's shores, looking out onto the Abandoned Bay, mesmerised by the converging of the Living and the Dead Ocean.

General Behaviour
Intraspecies Interaction: Mares, despite their centaur heritage, do not engage in communal interaction with each other. They are solitary and do not require social engagement like their living counterparts.
Predator and Prey Relationships: Mares are not prey to any other species on Aonaran. However, they are a predator of humanoids on Elentiya. While not requiring the biological nutrients a body can give, they feed off the negative emotions they cause by inducing nightmares in beings that can dream.
Revenge Driven: While mares are usually tranquil, not interacting much with any other species, they become extremely aggressive during the Eclipse Season. With this season being the equivalent of the Frost Season on Elentiya and Aeron, it marks the season in which the mares were created during the Great Battle of the Plains.

Seasonal Behavioural Patterns
Shade Season: This season is one of the more active ones for the mares. The Shade Rain that falls over Morana marks the beginning of the decline in temperature and the oncoming of the colder seasons, which are the mares' hunting seasons.
Dusk Season: Before the beginning of the Eclipse Season, the mares become introspective and reflect on what happened to them during the Great Battle of the Plains. They summon their eternal rage and need for vengeance, which peaks at the end of this season.
Eclipse Season: With the onset of the Eclipse Season, the mares become their most aggressive and begin migrating to Elentiya for their hunting season. They search for a suitable victim, preferably hunters or poachers, whom the mare then torment almost the entirety of the season, feeding off their tortured emotions.
Twilight Season: As the Eclipse Zephyr calms and disappears, the mares become tranquil once again and move back to Morana. They resume their places upon the cliffs on the Forgotten Shore, serving as eerie guardians of the Abandoned Bay.
Fullmoon Season: During this season, the mares are the calmest, barely moving and lying in wait for the next hunting season to roll around.

Mares possess a sinister array of perception and sensory/extrasensory capabilities. Their night vision allows them to navigate darkness effortlessly, while their ability to manipulate dreams and induce nightmares grants them control over their victims' subconscious minds. They can sense and feed off negative emotions, project spectral forms into the physical world, and emit an aura of fear, making them formidable tormentors born of anguish and revenge.
Night Vision: Mares can see clearly in complete darkness, making them formidable creatures during the night.
Eerie Aura Detection: They can sense and identify sources of intense negative emotions, such as fear and guilt, in their vicinity.
Dream Manipulation: Mares have the ability to enter and manipulate the dreams of humans, inducing nightmares of their choosing.
Emotional Nourishment: They can feed off the negative emotions of fear, guilt despair, and anguish in their victims.
Illusory Manipulation: They have the power to create convincing illusions to deceive or frighten their victims.
Phantom Touch: They possess the ability to physically interact with the environment, despite their spectral nature, allowing them to open doors, move objects, or touch their victims.
Telepathy: Mares can communicate telepathically with their chosen victims, adding a psychological layer to their torment.
Ethereal Flight: Mares can float or glide above the ground, moving with an eerie grace.
Time Perception Manipulation: Mares can alter their victim's perception of time, allowing them to extend moments of terror for their victims.
Shadow Melding: They can merge with shadows and darkness, becoming nearly invisible to the naked eye.
Memory Extraction: Mares can extract and manipulate memories, adding elements of personal torment to their nightmares.
Spectral Whispering: They communicate with each other through eerie, whispering voices that only they can hear.
Pain Amplification: They can intensify physical and emotional pain in their victims during their dream-induced nightmares.
Soul Tethering: Mares can create a psychic link between themselves and their chosen victims, ensuring a lasting connection that they feed off and continue their tormenting.