Adult Female
Name: unnamed
Species: Coprinusaur
Birthday: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Owner: Caper
Element: Neutral 
Newly hatched coprinusaurs are gangly yet graceful. Even at a very young age, shortly after hatching, the frills around their head begin producing the ink they are known for. Hatchlings do not produce very much of this ink, which is thick and viscous, and so it mostly stays on their frills, only occasionally dripping off. Coprinusaurs are fast and agile, even more so as hatchlings than as adults, and it is not uncommon for magi caring for one to lose track of it, only to discover it later napping in a moist cranny somewhere. They require considerably less care than most hatchlings, needing no conventional feeding and only the occasional watering, and so it is generally not cause for much concern if a hatchling wanders off.
Despite their beautiful coloring and graceful movements, coprinusaurs have a faintly ominous reputation. This is mainly due to the ever-present beautiful but oddly unsettling iridescent blue ink that constantly oozes from the edges of their frills, the excess dripping thickly and slowly to the ground. This ink turns invisible once it has left the creature, with one notable exception: it reacts with death, and if there has been a recent one nearby, the ink stays visible. The more strongly sentient the passed creature, the stronger the color and the longer the stain lingers, and the ink is known to stain murderers permanently. Since coprinusaurs are drawn to the sites of recent deaths, and in fact seem to feed off the energy released by spirits passing between worlds, they are very useful in tracking down the recently deceased, and have brought to light many terrible crimes. However, their association with death, especially wrongful ones, means they are usually considered a bad omen. Strangely though, their presence is a boon during times of famine - their ink is edible and a small amount can sustain a person for long periods. Unfortunately, they do not tend to stay for very long once there are no longer regular deaths, so it is recommended that their ink be collected diligently and stored once they first show up in such dire situations.
Sprite art: Munin (adult) | Description: Kestrad