Hippocampus
A hippocampus is a horse built for the sea. Instead of hooves, they have fins at the end of their front legs. The hindquarters do not even have legs, instead ending in a fish tail. They can appear in a number of colors, ranging from dark green to bright white, many include shades of blue and/or silver. They are tamed for use as steeds or beasts of burden by aquatic races like merfolk and athamarus,1 valued for their strength, speed, and intelligence. In the wild, hippocampi travel shallow waters in small herds, eating seaweed.2[citation needed]
On Golarion
The hippocampus is one of the two mascots of the city of Absalom3. This is because Absalom is the only land-based country with a sea cavalry, the Wave Riders. These knights ride hippocampi on scouting and hit and run missions on enemy ships.4
Variants
There are numerous breeds or species of hippocampus that differ from the standard breed in subtle ways, such as possessing better reflexes or greater toughness. One especially hardy and powerful variety is the polar hippocampus, native to arctic waters. The giant hippocampus is an enormous beast that dwells in the deepest seas.2[citation needed]
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ Paizo referred to athamarus as locathahs until the publication of Rage of Elements.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 2, 155. Paizo Inc., 2010
- ↑ . “Introduction” in Guide to Absalom, 3. Paizo Inc., 2008
- ↑ . “People” in Guide to Absalom, 51. Paizo Inc., 2008