Voiceover:

Today on “Mystical Creatures” we investigate a creature not often seen in captivity or in the wild, the elusive Hunicorn.

Hunicorns are shy and wild

Hunicorns are shy and wild, loving nothing more than environments like the massive Forest of Awenia, where our photographer found this one deep in the brush. Awenia’s great forest is a fertile environment for many mystical species, and we have investigated several of them here on “Mystical Creatures”, but the Hunicorn has managed to elude us in the past.

Using a sophisticated invisibility spell and long-range lenses, our photographer has captured for us some of the best stills we’ve seen of this almost mythical mystical creature.

Spooked by the smallest noise

Even the smallest noise is enough to spook this magnificent creature. See how the muscles in her legs barely tighten as she turns and flees, with a glance back to almost exactly where our photographer was hiding in plain sight. It could be that the Hunicorn has some invisibility detection. No appreciable studies have been done on Hunicorns, as even catching them in this way is almost impossible: the prospect of potentially trapping and negotiating with one has not, to our knowledge, been considered by most scientists studying mystical creatures today.

A pause for breath

Our photographer’s lens catches her as she pauses for breath: note her strong features and her sharp gaze. Hunicorn markings are said to vary, but this one falls within what we have come to think of as the standard range: very dark skin with a dappled pattern of  swirls and spots unique to this species.

Leg markings match the arms and shoulders

In this photo, taken before she fled, we can show how her leg markings match the arm and shoulder markings. Even her long mane mirrors these colours.

Our photographer spent nearly four days invisible in the Forest of Awenia, so we have many more photographs to show you. Let’s try to piece together how the Hunicorn spends her day.

After locating her nest, deep in the forest, our photographer set up a blind nearby and attempted to help us understand a day in the life of the Hunicorn.

Sunrise Dance

Our Hunicorn rises just before dawn and helps herself to a breakfast of leaves and berries. Later during the day, she will strip bark from trees for a midday meal, which is how the vulgar term “tree-stripper” came to apply to the Hunicorn. It has long been believed that Hunicorns are solitary, and we can see that this one certainly is. In four days in the forest, our photographer did not see her interact with another of her species; in fact, he only glimpsed one other Hunicorn at a distance. After her breakfast, her habit is to head to one of the cliffs overlooking the Awenian Sea and dance the sunrise. So many of our mystical creatures are keenly attuned to the cycles of light and dark and of the moon; although we had not glimpsed this phenomenon before, it came as no surprise. Our photographer notes that she seems alive with joy during this part of her daily routine.

Moving inland

While she will revisit the cliffs more than once over the course of her day, now the Hunicorn moves inland, closer to the trees whose bark she will strip for her midday meal. We have never seen a Hunicorn without these boots; it is not known whether they sport hooves or human-like feet as the boots never seem to come off.

Keen senses

A quick tilt of the head, and the Hunicorn makes a decision as to how she’ll spend the remaining hours of the morning.

We find her again on a rock.

Soon enough, our photographer catches up with her and finds her sunning on a rock near one of the pools in the forest.

She rests here for the next two hours.

She rests here for the next two hours, sunning and preening, grooming her mane with her long fingernails and polishing her jewellery with tree leaves.

Magical smile

It is said that the Hunicorn’s smile is bewitching, and our photographer now attests that this is true. When she smiled, he said, she “exuded such joy that I was tempted to just approach her and embrace her.” Of course, he knew that his observation would be over if she saw him approach. “It took every ounce of willpower I had to resist that urge,” he remembers with a rueful smile. We’re having a hard time resisting, and we’re only looking at a photograph.

After her meal of tree bark, she spends the rest of the day roaming around the forest. Occasionally, she will touch a tree that bears her mark; our photographer suggested that she thanks the trees for their bounty. Of course, since no one has ever heard a Hunicorn speak, it’s impossible to verify this assumption.

Later in the day, she revisits the cliffs.

Later in the day, she revisits the cliffs; the shadows grow long.

An afternoon run

She spends a few minutes running the cliffs back and forth, then retreats to her nest for a long afternoon nap. It could be that there is some of the feline in the Hunicorn; she spends quite a lot of time napping, it seems.

Her afternoon nap extends into evening, and when she is active again, it is already dark.

Moonbathing

Our photographer’s lens catches her, just once more before it becomes too dark to photograph, as she basks in the glow of Awenia’s full moon.

Then, she is off into the forest again, but without night vision equipment, our photographer cannot follow.

We hope you have enjoyed this glimpse of the elusive Hunicorn. In the weeks and months to come, we hope to show you more of this magnificent creature. As always, thanks for tuning in to “Mystical Creatures” I’m Dafydd heb Feddwl, and you’re listening to Fae Worlds Radio.

Style Card:
Body: Maitreya
Head: Lelutka, Cate Bento Mesh Head
Hair: Analog Dog (natch), Mato (Available NOW at Hair Fair!)
Skin: The Plastik, Unicorn Kinn Darkin Skin (Available NOW at Lootbox!)
Eyes: Seydr, Versicolor Eyes
Boots: DHB, Latex Pony Boots
Items from the Unicorn Kind Gacha (Available NOW at Lootbox!):

• Kinn Armlet
• Kinn Bracelet
• Kinn Chestpiece
• Kinn Necklaces
• Kinn Ears
• Kinn Horn
• Kinn Tail
• Kinn Top
• Kinn Panties
• Kinn Tailrings

Environment:
Location: Awenia Forest
Poses: Bauhaus Movement, Manga Stream Series