Life Deer (Reliquit Stamen)
1. Physical DescriptionLife deer, as they're commonly called, often have the appearance of a fawn. These creatures have coats ranging from a light reddish brown to a deep coppery tone, often with various spots or other markings. Most life deer have either a white or brown marking on their forehead, as well as vines and ferns growing on them. The plants growing on the deer have a symbiotic relationship with them. The ferns will get more sunlight and draw water out of the deer while the deer have better camouflage. Life deer are usually quite lean, reaching about 30-40 centimeters (12-15 inches) in height. Some people say they live up to 150 years, while others claim they only live to 25 years. It's still unclear whether there are such thing as adult life-deer, due to most of the sightings being of ones that look like fawns. Many people believe that they're like a fountain of youth, due to the lack of deer that look like adults as well as many of the people who saw them claiming the had a golden aura of life energy around them.
2. Social Structure and HabitatMany deer often travel in small family-based groups. They aren't particularly social and wouldn't travel in large herds due to how rare they are. They are monogamous, often staying with the same mate till the end of their life. Life deer typically live in temperate or evergreen forests, most sightings being in the Western Highlands of Serendipity, though they are also found in the Draconi Forest in Adela and the Niahi woods.
3. DietLife deer are herbivores, mostly dining on low-growing berries, ferns, grasses, and various lichens. It is yet unknown how they obtain food in the winter. Some believe they migrate farther north towards the sturdier winter grasses, while others believe they would hibernate, due to there being zero sightings of the deer during winter.
4. Symbolism and Presence in CultureAs said before, many people believe that the deer are like a fountain of youth, though this superstition is mostly from the people of Adela, due to the fact that sightings of the deer there are a lot less frequent than they would be in Western Le'raana or Serendipity. Most of Western Le'raana and some of Serendipity, however, believe that they're the reincarnations of great and powerful mages. The majority of scholars and mages in Serendipity, on the other hand, believe that these are simply magical creatures with healing attributes. The one belief held among all of them is that these deer are very powerful. That belief, in turn, caused mass hunting of life deer, though all of the hunts where unsuccessful. They're often depicted with either a deep blue or golden aura around them, to symbolize their powers of healing and reincarnation.
