Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Pandorum
Birthday: Saturday, August 3, 2024
Owner: VilaWolf
Element: Light 
These hatchlings are small and wiry, with powerful muscles and two prehensile tails. They can contort their bodies into nearly any shape, but that is not the most fascinating thing about them. Pandorum eggs only come to magi who are able to summon them with fell magics, and the hatchling will be devoted only to their magi, while ignoring anyone else. It is not a devotion borne of caring, however, but one that appears to be related to a bargain struck between the hatchling and magi in thanks for the hatchling's existence. As a summoned creature, this isn’t considered unusual, but most magi are wary of magi who have a pandorum hatchling. Given the rumors about these creatures, and the magic required to summon them, magi with such a creature are typically shown fearful respect.
Among the non-magical population, these creatures are considered a sign of disaster to come. Unlike other magical creatures that may portend hard times for an entire community, the sight of a pandorum is taken as a sign that something will befall a particular person, and the sight of one creates anxiety about who the victim may be and what sort of harm may come to them. The origin of this terror is the belief that only evil magi can summon these creatures, and do so in order to take revenge or cause harm to a person they dislike. At the keep, the rumors are more complex, and state that evil magi strike a bargain with their pandorum on the night these creatures gain the power of speech. The bargain goes two ways—for one night, the pandorum will do whatever the magi says. One night after that, the pandorum will do whatever it wants, and will take the powers of the magi for that night to do so. The stick carried by the females is suspected to be used as a wand when the creature takes its magi’s magic on the one night a year they are able to carry out their own wishes. Legends and old songs tell tales of dark magi in the past causing havoc during long winter nights through bargains struck with these creatures. Defenders of pandorum, however, claim that there are also stories told of these creatures where the pandorum fixes whatever damage it caused at the command of the magi on the night it has the most freedom. Whether the rumors are true or not, pandorum are regarded with wariness in the Keep by all but the bravest magi.
Sprite art: Tekla (hatchling) | Description: Raneth