Vesper
Basic Information
Anatomy
Most of their external morphology is identical to other pony breeds: equine body, four legs, hooves, mane and tail and the like. However they have many unique, specialized adaptations.
Their most characteristic trait is their membranous, bat-like wings. Most likely evolved for the more restrained and obstacle filled caves, the finger like spines allow them twice as much dexterity as their feathered counterparts. They can flutter around cave speleothems, a dense forest, or an obstacle coarse with twice the speed and ease, as well as expand half the energy as a feathered pegasus. However they are less adept for sustained, long distance flight, and the thin membranes and lack of feathers make them vulnerable to the cold, often locking up in pain and prone to frost bite.
Another noticeable trait are their slit-pupiled, cat like eyes. Obviously an evolved trait for their dark environment, their pupils can contract very wide to let in and reflect as much light as possible.
Their ears are also distinct, with tufts of fur atop each ear, which act almost like whiskers and can sense vibrations in the air.
Their teeth are more akin to a reindeer's than an equine's, and have a slightly larger, more specialized cecum than other ponies. These are adaptations for their diet which consists of mostly lichens, mosses, liverworts, ferns, and mushrooms that grow in and around the caves, being much harder to chew and digest for most other pony breeds unless processed. Contrary to popular belief, vespers do not have fangs.
Their bones are semi-hollow like the pegasus, although are usually a bit stronger thanks to calcium supplementation from the limestone and dolomite present in caves.
Their lungs and chest cavity tend to be larger like the pegasus as well, an adaptation for the lower oxygen levels in the thin mountain air, as well as the damp, underground caves.
Ecology and Habitats
Vespers inhabit towns and cities created in the caves of various mountains across Equestria. Almost all their buildings are built into the cave ceilings to avoid flash floods that rush though in a heavy rain or storm.
The entrance zones are usually more rural, with fewer structures and population. The vespers there mostly forage and cultivate the various flora and fungus that grows with what sunlight reaches in, mostly at night or twilight.
The twilight zones are the most populated zones in the caves, with very limited, filtered sunlight and a mostly stable climate. Large towns or cities are usually constructed here, with some cities extending into the dark zones with artificial lighting.
The dark zones are mostly wild and uninhabited, due to the complete absence of light, and dangerous creatures and environment. Vespers only venture into the dark zone with headlamps and weapons, usually in groups to gather resources, study the caves and life, or go general spelunking.
Some colonies set up camps and semi-permanent structures just outside the caves on the mountains, usually populated by foragers, explorers, and guards. Although many are wary of the outside world and this isn't always considered ideal.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Vespers mostly rely on the unique, low-light plants, fungus, bryophytes, and lichens that grow in caves for food, although in modern times they supplement with other plant-based foods found outside of the caves. They tend to rely more on foraging wild food than agriculture, but some colonies and individuals have begun cultivating various species, creating unique subspecies only found in their caves. Their dentation and digestive system are specially adapted to break down these types of foods raw, as most of them aren't very edible or digestible to the other pony breeds (without heavy cooking, blending, or juicing). They get heavy mineral and vitamin supplementation from the various geology of the different caves (such as limestone, dolomite, cobalt, ect.), often dissolved in the drinking water but sometimes crushed and powered. Due to their lack of consistent sunlight, Vitamin D is supplemented through various mushrooms.
Cooking in the past tended to be on the simple side, and many vespers nowadays embrace foreign foods, spices, and cooking styles (although this can be met with criticism from the more traditional elders). Many vespers have become particularly enamored with fruit and other sweets, often foraging far outside the caves to find them. Traditional seasoning usually consists of rock salt, minerals from special rocks, and whatever herbs, berries, or seeds grow outside on the mountains. Salting, pickling, and jamming are the most common and traditional forms of food preservation, as drying and smoking are nearly impossible to sustain in the constantly moist cave environment. Many colonies are modernizing to the use of technology like ice boxes though.
Biological Cycle
Vespers are generally unaffected by the outside world, as the cave environment (the twilight and dark zones in particular) keeps a near constant climate. They make some lifestyle changes during the winter, such as preserving their favorite non-native foods, almost never leaving the caves unless in an emergency, and taking precautions to make sure the caves entrances don't become blocked by heavy snowfall.
Additional Information
Social Structure
As equines, vespers are highly social creatures, however they mostly stick to their own kind. Their family units and neighborhoods are often very closely knit. Most colonies have councils of elders that lead them rather than a single ruler, with larger cities having multiple, complicated bureaucracies.
Facial characteristics
Only major differences from other ponies are their vertical slit pupils and tufts of fur atop their ears.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Mostly in the mountains of and around the Undiscovered West, although they have been expanding to various mountains across Equestria, with the exception of the Frozen North.
Average Intelligence
Sapient
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
As mentioned, their eyes are adapted to very low light conditions. Having more rods than cones, a large percentage of the population are colorblind (ones that aren't are often tasked with foraging for more varied food outside the caves, such as fruit). Their pupils constrict to mere slits or contract to near spheres much like a cat. While they can't see in complete pitch-blackness, any small or soft nearby light source is often enough to make out their environment. This comes with a trade off of course, as their eyes are incredibly sensitive to light. Any direct, strong light in their eyes will cause pain and temporarily blind them. The sun in particular (and other high ray light sources) could potentially cause damage to the eyes if exposed for too long. For this reason if they ever leave the caves it's almost always at night or twilight, leading many to believe they are nocturnal or crepuscular. (However inside the caves they are mostly cathemeral, even more so than other pony breeds)
Their hearing is excellent, twice as sensitive as other ponies, although not as pinpoint accurate as a real bat. They can use a very weak form of echolocation, although they rely more on their ear tufts. Much like a lynx, they act almost like whiskers, and can sense the slightest change in air, especially vibrations. Hence it's incredibly hard to sneak up on a vesper.
Their sense of smell and touch is a little stronger than most ponies, but not exceptionally.
Many vespers are naturally clairvoyant, have "second sight" (seeing spirits and the like), or have premonitions. It's speculated this might have developed along with their other hyper-sensitive senses when evolving for their dark, mysterious, often hostile cave environment. Ergo, a common job (more so outside the caves) are psychics and mediums.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Vespers have domesticated and tamed several cave creatures, most prominent being the bats. The common colorful fruit bat is believed to have originated from the vesper caves. Fruit bats and flying foxes are often taken out with them to aid in foraging for specific fruits. Flying foxes in particular are kept like pet dogs, trained to harvest and retrieve fruits autonomously. Insectivorous bats are kept around for pest control. The vampire fruit bat has been tamed to varying levels of success, but are often considered a pest and rival for fruit. The large, feral olitiau are sometimes tamed to help hunt down the giant, pony-eating spiders and centipedes that live in the caves. Said bugs are a major predator and greatly feared by the vespers. Some other trogloxene and troglobite animals are kept as house and tank pets. Spirits are commonly kept as aids and familiars, particularly the kobolds, although they can often have an antagonistic relationship with miners.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Colonies are led by a council of the most esteemed elders. In smaller colonies, the council meets daily to discuss recent happenings, listen to the various grievances of the locals, and decide on courses of action. As colonies get larger, however, councils begin to get larger and more complex, often branching off into multiple factions and creating a bureaucracy. Larger cities inevitably contain gangs or rings that deal in illegal smuggling, often of drugs.
Average Technological Level
Most colonies have convergently developed similar technology and tools of the outside Equestrians, as most of the cave systems are abundant in stone, coal, metal ore, and crystals.
Wood is almost nonexistent as a resource as it does not preserve well in the damp cave environment, and is considered a hassle to trek from the outside down into the caves. Coal is often exclusively substituted for firewood, and lightweight, carvable, stone or crystals are incorporated into metal tools and weapons.
Fibers from ferns, tough mountain grasses, and traded wool are often used for ropes and fabric. Writing scrolls are usually made out goldwork threading (of various soft and untarnishable metals) and books tend to have treasure binding.
Crystals are one their most prominent resources, being incorporated into many areas of life. One of their most unique developments is their use of piezoelectric crystals as their main source of electricity.
Extensive tunnels and plumbing are built into the cave floors and ceilings to re-direct and harvest rainwater (especially to control flooding in massive storms) as well as remove fumes.
While they usually rely on traditional medicine, advanced diagnostics and treatments are typically done with their unique form of sonography.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Almost all colonies speak Equestrian. However do to centuries of isolation from the outside world, the old Shakespearean tongue has been passed down for generations and is spoken by many elder vespers (and some highly isolated whole colonies), much like Princess Luna. Most younger generations have been adapting to the more modern dialect of Equestrian, another source of criticism and bellyaching from the elders.
Common Etiquette Rules
Cleanliness is very important in most colonies, as living in an enclosed cave with close-knit communities, disease could spread rampantly. It is considered rude and gross to use their mouths to carry things others might touch, and instead use their wings to hold and manipulate small objects. Indoor voices and low music are encouraged inside the caves, as their ears are hyper-sensitive and sound echoes off the walls easily.
Common Dress Code
The stable climate in the caves gives them little use for clothing. With the exceptions of guards wearing armor, most vespers rarely wear clothes. Although they may occasionally wear hats, cloaks, or protective gear when traveling out of the caves. They do however love jewelry, and fancy, over the top head, neck, and body pieces are worn in place of dresswear for formal occasions, such as weddings.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Vesper art usually consists of stone and crystal carving, metalworking, glassblowing, and jewelry making.
Etching, drawing, and painting are usually done on stone slabs or the walls of buildings rather than paper or canvas, as these usually mildew and rot rather quickly in the moist caves.
Music is often soft and low for their sensitive ears, although larger concerts use different parts of the cave to echo and amplify the music.
A common cultural dish is making a large communal soup. Various foods and seasonings are foraged and added to a huge pot by different members of the colony, while others tend to burning coal pit full of stones. The stones are then added to pot which instantly boils it, creating a stew (much like Caldo de Piedra)
Many colonies don't celebrate most Equestrian holidays (such as Hearths Warming, Nightmare Night, ect.) but instead have their own holidays and festivals.
Common Taboos
Major taboos often involve offending the cave spirits, particularly the kobolds that could reek havoc on miners. Bad hygiene is a massive issue, as they often live in close quarters to one another. The level of disapproval of the use and selling of psychedelic mushrooms and other drugs can vary from colony to colony, but is most often illegal. Modernization and cultural diffusion from the outside world can often be met with backlash from elders and traditionalists, although is only a serious issue with some of the most isolated, rigid, and xenophobic colonies.
History
The origin of the vespers is quite murky and the subject of much debate. Outsiders often claim they evolved directly from the pegasus, transformed through some evolutionary fluke or dark magic. Vespers will claim they are a distinct breed from the feathered pegasus, branched off from ponykind's common ancestor eons ago, and adapted to life in the caves. Either way they are an ancient and unique breed, having built their own civilizations and cultures in the mountains unbeknownst to most of Equestria.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Vespers have historically had nasty territorial disputes with dragons. The dragons would take up residence in the mountain caves unannounced, fill up the cave with smoke from their napping, and at worst attack vesper settlements and eat ponies. Vespers would try to forcefully remove dragons from their caves or foolishly try to steal their treasure. This lead to centuries of conflict until word finally reached Celestia, who had to intervene. They are now considered at a standstill, although tensions and grudges still exist.
Relations with the outside ponies have historically also been very negative. Most Equestrians have never seen or heard of a vesper, and their appearance is often considered frightening. Outsider perceptions and stereotypes of vespers usually consist of:
- They are blood-sucking vampires
- They are demons from Tartarus and/or somehow connected to Nightmare Moon
- They are rabid/spread rabies and other diseases like real bats
- They are primitive or dimwitted cave creatures
- They are drug addicts/dealers (usually of psychedelic mushrooms)
Scientific Name
Equus chiroptera (?)
Origin/Ancestry
Pony, potentionally pegasus?
Lifespan
60-75 years
Average Height
12-14 hands
Average Weight
380-440 lbs
Average Length
3.5-4 ft
Average Physique
Almost identical to pegasus ponies, except for differences in wing structure and muscles.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Fur, mane, and tail coloration tend to be darker, duller, cooler, or more earth tone compared to the other pony breeds, although brighter, more vibrant colors aren't an anomaly. Two-toned manes and tails appear to be more common among the vesper population than other ponies, with wing colors frequently matching their hair.
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