General
Old magi speak of ancient times with lands roamed by creatures from other realms. Some of these stories are legends, while others are true. One of these tales involves the icy whisper, a tiny, fearless being that inexplicably survived to this day. They say the whispers were intelligent beings without a stable shape, sometimes described as freezing whirlwinds or beautiful snowflakes. In truth, no one knows what the whispers looked like before they permanently made this land their home. While their stories come in many shapes, the one common idea is that the icy whispers, observing their surroundings, decided to take the form of a butterfly so they could blend in with the rest of the fauna. Delicate blue wings keep them afloat, and while they do not seem to flutter when flying, one can hear the constant sound of whispering when they fly around. Although fragile looking, the icy whispers have impressive powers over heat, as they are able to freeze everything they touch in a matter of seconds. They appear to understand human language and can be convinced to unfreeze something if necessary. While this theory has yet to be proven, many people say they are overcome by a strange sensation when they hear a whisper flying, some even going as far as to claim they heard stories of long-forgotten lands as proof of the whispers' origin.
Egg
Tiny snowflakes swirl around this frozen egg.
Hatchling
In the first few seconds after hatching, the icy whispers look less like caterpillars and more like conglomerates of swirling snowflakes. These are the only moments when they give a glimpse of what they used to look like before taking the shape of butterflies. They soon take their usual form and never again change to a shapeless appearance. Snowflakes spiral around them, a sign of their powerful magic. The caterpillars freeze everything around them, and those who handle these creatures need to wear protective gloves, or else they risk frozen fingers. They eat everything they freeze, although they keep away from meat as there are cases of accidentally freezing a living being. Even if the caterpillars have no control over their magic until they transform into butterflies, they grow fast, and things that were not meant to be frozen are usually reverted to their original state in a matter of days.
Adult
In many ways, adult icy whispers behave like common butterflies. They seek the perfect partners, have beautiful mating rituals, and gather around small bodies of frozen water to feed. Unlike other species of butterflies, the whispers feed exclusively on ice. They lay their eggs during the coldest days of winter, usually on conifer needles. As the eggshells freeze everything that comes in contact with them, the adults spend little time caring for the eggs. They are more preoccupied with the presence of people, not because the whispers see them as a threat, but because they appear to study human behavior. Many magi accept the company of whispers, as they are easy to train to freeze and unfreeze things. The adults like to frequent libraries, the whisper-like buzz of their wings a welcomed sound as they fly around from open book to open book, seemingly reading along with the students. Frozen books or hands happen every so often, especially when students unknowingly try to swat away at the visiting whispers. Besides the libraries, whispers are also a common sight in gardens. During the warm seasons, the whispers use their magic to freeze flowers, making their homes inside them. Although they can control their magic fully, accidents still happen, and beautiful flower gardens become frozen overnight if the whispers search for new homes. Many see them as pests, but their magical abilities make them too powerful allies to be driven away from human settlements.
Notes
Obtained from: Donation (Dec)
Breeding: Yes
Renaming cost: 2000 gold
Release date: December 15th 2022
Element: Fire/Water
Breeds with the following:
Icy Whisper + Icy Whisper = Icy Whisper (Guaranteed) Cost: 3 shards
December 2022 Midmonth Donation Pet
Sprite art: Mysfytt | Description: Real