Crystal Ponies

((This is a direct paste from an SL notecard. Will be edited and tuned soon!))


 * Race: Crystal Ponies


 * From: Crystal Empire/Crystal Empire's mass stable.

Crystal ponies are formed from a magical type of crystal which is pliable and feels much like a pony's flesh, if not a little thicker, almost feeling of rubber or latex. Their bodies are very similar to a pony's, containing organs and requiring the same vital needs: Water, food and air. A crystal pony may be injured as any other, they are are not immune to cuts, bruises, being shot, etc. A crystal pony's blood is clear, as viscous as normal blood, however being crystal, it is almost a liquid silicate. As it is known, a crystal pony may reproduce in the same manner as a normal pony would, though it is not confirmed that a pony and crystal pony may breed. A crystal pony may come in all three races, Earth Pony, Unicorn Pony and Pegasus Pony, without penalties to be the race. Crystal ponies may use potions and be healed by most any means a normal pony is able to be healed with, as well, they are vulnerable in the same ways.
 * Physiology:


 * Connection to the Crystal Heart is an innate thing in all crystal ponies, regardless of distance from the empire. Thus, whenever a crystal pony's spirits are high, they may assume their crystal coat. Given their environment in the wastes, a crystal pony walking around in their crystal coat form at all times is highly unlikely. The Crystal heart itself exudes it's own particular type of radiation, causing some resistance to balefire radiation (Up to 2000 rads), however other effects have developed (See below.).


 * Racial strengths/abilities:

Limb recovery - Due to being made of crystal, a crystal pony may recover a lost limb; provided all or 'most' of the part is recovered. Reattaching a crystal limb is somewhat simple, only requiring the limb to be held to the point where it was lost and immobilized (Movement of any kind will disrupt the formation of crystal between the parts). The limb will not regain feeling or be able to use any muscles (Think: Dead weight.) for at least a week and the first time attaching is the only time where full use shall be recovered. repeated losses of the limb decrease the effectiveness of the recovery, thus losing more feeling with each attachment. A limb may only be replaced in this manner three times until it can be considered dead and unusable if attached. While the limb is being attached, continual disruption of the healing process may cause it to deaden in a much shorter time.

First attachment: No penalty, possible tingling. Second attachment: Minor numbness. Muscle reactivity reduced. Third attachment: Muscles do not move with ease limb almost completely numb. Fourth+ attachment: Limb is non-functioning dead weight.


 * Racial weaknesses:

Special effects of radiation - While being exposed to balefire radiation, crystal ponies have an observable change in their crystalline structure. The stronger the radiation, the stiffer their bodies become, growing more rigid as time goes. This is not to say they become more impervious to damage, the opposite in fact. With the ductility (Flexibility) of their crystal forms reduced, they become much more brittle and prone to damage from large, deep cracks and even shearing; replacing radiation sickness with this new danger. the more radiation for long periods of time will cause a crystal pony's body to become increasingly stiff until the loss in all ductility reaches the brain or internal organs, leading to failures and finally death. When a crystal pony takes a large dose of radiation, they do not simply absorb it; they become a danger to those around them, starting to become radioactive themselves! (Typically not above 5 rads/sec) Crystal ponies may withstand 2000 rad units before death, however due to this, ghoulification due to a crystal pony's death by radiation is much more likely.

0-200 rads: Initial stiffness sets in, on par with a sunburn. Painful and uncomfortable. 200-400 rads: Stiffening increases. Small, painful cracks possible to form during movement. 400-600 rads: Joints become affected, outer skin becomes tight and hard to flex without effort. Cracking very likely. 600-900 rads: Muscles begin to stiffen, distress in vital systems. Heart rate becomes irregular. Watch for signs of shock. 900-1400 rads: Nearing the end of this phase, the crystal pony may find it difficult, if not impossible to move of their own will. Shattering of extremties becomes likely. Severe organ failure begins to set in. 1400-2000 rads: Organs fail, body begins to go into death cycle. Solidifying begins post death. Ghoulification likely to begin.


 * Ghouls:

Crystal ponies may become a unique variant of ghoul; Crystal ghouls. Just as normal ghouls look as if they were simply dead ponies, Crystal ghouls have the same. Their 'flesh' is heavily cracked and falling off of their crystalline bones, trapped between their fleshy and crystal coat selves. Wild growths of crystals exist across their bodies, particularly where the ghoul has been damaged at one time or another. Their backs may harbor wild formations of crystals, which may be removed without pain if they are not feral. Due to being corrupted, the crystals on their bodies are tinged with greens and blacks, their original colors well visible but the undercurrent obvious. A crystal ghoul who bathes in radiation may easily become a glowing crystal ghoul, the balefire radiation shimmering in their translucent forms, shining dangerously.

Healing/Regeneration for crystal ghouls takes their body's nature and putting it on overdrive. Where a crystal ghoul is damaged, it will quickly (hours/days) grow into a mass of wild crystal, the size of the growth depending on the injury. Large injuries and nullification (removal of limbs, etc) result in a structure that is more akin to a grouping of quartz than the original body part. For example, if a leg was removed, what grew back in would look more like a mass of crystalline structures than an actual leg. An injury this large will take upwards of a week to heal from, depending on radiation intake.