Pet Facts



Tarinooki Facts

Although Mandorans are typically thought to be the oldest creatures in Misticia, the truth is that Tarinookis have been around since before Mandorans first appeared. In fact, the only records of Mistica's history are a result of the Tarinookis' love for art. Not only are they captivated by art, Tarinookis are fascinated by anything remotely related to magic, being steeped in it themselves. A single Tarinooki contains magic reserves equal to that of any number of Mericai.

They may look cute, but Tarinookis can be very erratic, and tend to bring trouble wherever they go. They have a weakness for practical jokes and are unable to resist them when an opportunity arises. This can be the cause for fear if they take these jokes too far, but this doesn't happen too often. The most common jokes they play involve the paint that they use for their art projects and are more annoying than anything.

Said paint is a secretion from oil glands set in ringlets on the tail. The tail is set up as an extension of the spine, being a fully mobile appendage. There are different pigments on each ringlet and the Tarinooki thus has a portable easel. In combination with this are the Tarinookis claws, varying in their length and thickness, each for a specific type of 'brushwork'. Their eyesight is also a key factor in their artistic ability. Tarinookis are extremely nearsighted at night, as this is when they do all of their painting. They have an excess of cones in the retina, which are responsible for day vision. This results in very few rods, which are in charge of night vision.

A more notable feature of the Tarinookis is their wings, which are the same hue as the rest of their fur, save for their tails. Their wings aren't very strong and are more the effect of powerful magic that an adaptation to their environment. They can fly for extremely short periods of time, but they refuse to unless it is an absolute emergency. Another feature wrought by magic is a Tarinooki's horns, which begin to grow from the day they are born. A Tarinooki must sharpen its horns constantly, for fear of them getting too long or twisting painfully.
A Tarinooki's diet is exactly the opposite of what its intimidating horns might suggest it survives off of various fruits and vegetables, being very picky about the taste. Tarinookis like sweet things almost as much as they like to paint and will fight each other over things such as pears and melons (preferably honeydew). Even in desperate circumstances, a Tarinooki will refuse meat. Their bodies are not built to digest it and it acts as poison once inside their systems, slowly killing them.

Because of the nature of the fragile glands within the Tarinooki's tail, they typically avoid water at all costs. Contact with excessive amounts of water, as in full submersion, will cause the glands to react painfully, secreting the paint supply uncontrollably until the tail has fully dried once more. This is referred to as "Running" by the Tarinooki and is often a lesson that need only be learned once. Consequently, Tarinooki cannot bathe in water as most species do. Instead, they roll themselves in fine ash found in abundance in close proximity to their typical habitats. This ash scrubs dirt and other residue from the Tarinooki's skin and is easily shaken loose when the cleansing process is complete.

Tarinooki tend to be exceedingly proud creatures. They spend long periods of time grooming themselves and one another in an attempt to impress rivals. The more vibrant and vivid the colors of a Tarinooki's tail ringlets, the more respect they earn among their kind. Because of this, many Tarinooki will go to great pains to brighten their tails, hunting down and consuming brightly colored fruits and berries typically located only in the highest reaches of the canopy in order to absorb the pigments within.

In addition, Tarinooki often judge one another by the quality of their artwork. Though all Tarinooki are born with great artistic ability, as in all species, some are naturally more talented than others. They are extremely proud of their work and will not abide insulting remarks. They are also very sensitive to critique and can be greatly angered by criticism, no matter how warranted it may be. This often results in scuffles breaking out within groups of Tarinooki, as they are also natural critics. In these instances, fights rarely turn violent. Instead, the two rival Tarinooki engage in a battle of the brushes, so to speak. The completed pieces are then left to a democratic vote, the more popular of the two being the winner.


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