Firespinner

The Chandler's Lament

Written by Alchemical Tea
In Character Prose and Art by The Clockwork Human
Inspired by Scramax

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

As the last flames of a wild fire die there last, Firespinners engage in a fury of activity as males compete for the attentions of their counter parts. Presenting motes of fire gathered during the blaze as trophies of their bravery and potency. Once impregnated, often by more than one male at a time, a female firespinner gestates for a period of a two months before laying her eggs in warm but not burning ash. This warmth is vital to the development of the young sparkling and if the ash cools at to quick of a rate then the eggs will fail to hatch.

Ecology and Habitats

Firespinners are relatively rare in the frozen north, instead perfecting to reside in more southern latitudes where they live among dry forest and grasslands. It is in this environment that their affinity with fire plays a vital ecological purpose. You see, when a wildfire claims a stretch of land then it is not simply the destruction of an ecosystem but a renewal from the ashes as the flames wipes away the build-up of debris and fill the soil with a newfound vigor which in return gives ample resources for the newest generation of flora and fauna to take bloom.

Dietary Needs and Habits

A herbivorous species, Firespinners gather wild grass seeds and tree nuts through their season and much like squirrels store the excess for winter. Rolling the nut or other plant matter in clay then baking it in a small fire to create a harden shell that prevents the encroachment of mold and aids in preventing the aforementioned rodent from sniffing out and raiding their food caches.

Additional Information

Social Structure

In their sparkling stage of growth, firespinners create tightly flock with the aim of mutual protection but as the sparklings shed there characteristic black skin a new mindset of the loner takes hold in their minds causing the flock to go their separate ways. Adult males and females alike rarely interact with one another save for the mating season when large flocks of the devious fae gather about often travelling many miles to do so. Once the initial burst of mating activity draws to a close the flock disperses back to their solitary nature leaving the young sparklings to fend for themselves.

Domestication

Tamed firespinner are often breed to process vibrate arrays of colors with an emphasis on the development of pattern of orange and black mottling.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Under the behest of Fairy Tenders, trained fire spinners can often be seen performing in the hosts of traveling entertainers. Preferring various acrobatic stunts such as flying through rings of flame or swimming through vessels of burning oil. In a commercial and functional sense on the other hand, alchemists also employ firespinners for the purpose of controlling the temperature of their alchemical cauldrons. Contrary to assumed function of lighting campfires or lanterns this is ability is rare used due to the inherent dangers of a flame wielding fairy and typically thatched roofed structures.

Average Intelligence

Animal-like

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The large black eyes of the Firespinner can often be seen reflecting a orange glow as they dark around the campfires of travelers or accost the cook stoves of house wives. It is these remarkable sensory organs that allow the firespinner to detect the faintest of light from many miles away. In contrast the narrow nasal slits lined with a dense mucus prevents soot from entering the creatures lungs. It is therefore believed that instead of simple scent, the Firespinner instead "tastes" the substances trapped in the mucus lining of its nasal passages and therefore determines the origin of the scent.

Scientific Name

Fairy Lumenatoris

Origin/Ancestry

Fairy

Lifespan

3 years

Average Height

4 Inches

Average Weight

0.85 to 1.4 Ounces

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

A newborn firespinner, a sparkling, is known for its black "char" that covers its skin and allows it to hide in the cinders and ash but at three weeks of age, the skin of the sparkling begins to mote and peel away revealing the copper hue of a mature instance of the species. This copper tone gradually lightens as the creature ages eventually resulting in a straw gold coloration as the creature approaches the end of its life cycle.