A horseclaw[1] is a large, flightless bird used as a mount for humans. A horseclaw has a large beak, vestigial wings and has large claws with three toes on each foot. Most horseclaws have dark to black feathers that cover their bodies as they would a normal bird. Horseclaws are very fast.
When Horseclaws mate, they mate for life. When one mate dies, the other instinctively knows about it and lays an egg.[2] The gestation period of the egg to birth is unknown. Horseclaw young have fluffy white down feathers.
Horseclaws are used as mounts by many characters in the manga. Lady Kushana's cavalry ride armored horseclaws. Lord Yupa has two horseclaws, a mated pair named Kai and Kui.
Horseclaws often wear tough legging to protect their legs,[3] can wear oversized Shohki Masks[4] as well as armor. Torumekian cavalry have Horseclaw Barding for their mounts.[5]
Yupa mentions horseclaws peripherally when discussing the Ancients when he says "even horses used to be mammals" (accompanying a picture of a horseclaw).[6]
Trivia[]
The Horseclaws bear a striking resemblance to Gastornis, a genus of extinct large flightless birds endemic to the Paleocene and Eocene epochs of the early Cenozoic. They were probably revived by the high-tech civilization.
References[]
a See Page Conversions Between Editions to convert Deluxe Edition volume 1 (DE1) to other editions.
| Creatures
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| Domesticated Animals • Dorok Cavalry Mounts • Fox-squirrels • God Warriors • Hebikera • Heedra • Hisokusari Fungus • Horseclaw • Kai and Kui • Kest • Landgrub • Ohma • Ohmu • Pipeworm • Royal Yanma • Slugworm • Teto • Tobimushi • Wingworm | ||