Description: Kaigu are native to magical forest groves, and are pony-like creatures comprised of pure magical energy. Without intervention, they live very natural and primitive lifestyles among the animals, acting as guardian spirits to the local fauna and flora, enhancing nature with their magic. They are often found living in waterfall caves or inside large trees, creating beds out of leaves and crude furniture out of scattered wood, and there is evidence of sparse fleeting culture. Kaigu mothers will sometimes teach things to their children, but for the most part trust them to explore the grove and learn on their own once they're old enough to walk and find food. Kaigu unnaturally get along with all wildlife, with zero reported incidences of being attacked by predators, and in fact countless anecdotes of them cuddling and playing with crocodiles and bears.
Kaigu have a unique physiology, in that their cheerful oblivious nature is actually essential to their survival. Since their magical body is maintained by their own positive emotions, a kaigu that experiences too much negative emotion begins to fade away, eventually leaving only their horns behind. Their horns are special in that they're seemingly indestructible, and are highly conductive of magic. Due to the sheer value of their horns, kaigu are often the targets of "poachers" in Equa, who are arguably more like murderers since despite their innocence, kaigu are in fact just as conscious as ponies (or humans). Unfortunately, local laws don't view it that way, letting many of them get off easy with only fines. Due to their wild upbringings and friendly demeanors, Kaigus are exceptionally accepting of other cultures, as well as extremely impressionable.
Origin: Original.
Mental Capacity: Primitive.
Average Height: 4'0" for females, 4'1" for males (excluding horns).
Average Lifespan: 240 (1 human year = 0.34 kaigu years).
Terminology: Kaiglin (a child).
Fixed Magical Properties: Flight, longevity, magical physiology, indestructible horn growth, nature affinity. Kaigu are beings made of pure magic, meaning their body and soul are actually the same thing, made of physical soul energy. This has some benefits, since biological weapons will have no effect, including poisons, suffocation, etc. However, physically disrupting their body by violent means will work. Kaigu technically don't have a mind either, making them both immune to mental attacks, and extremely impressionable at the same time, mostly copying those around them. It also has the unfortunate side-effect that a Kaigu who experiences too many negative emotions will literally begin to disappear. Like many other species, they can utilize magic in their wings to fly despite physical impossibility, and live far longer than most species.
Kaigu naturally grow horns with spare soul energy. The resulting material is the only thing left behind should they disappear, and is seemingly indestructible. In addition, Kaigu are naturally affiliated with nature, and their soul energy leaks into nature giving it additional life and strength. Animals will only ever consider a Kaigu a friend or source of comfort, and plants will grow faster.
Variable Magical Properties: Increasingly powerful nature affinity and durability/tolerance. A more powerful Kaigu has more of an impact on nature, and their capacity to experience negative emotions without disappearing also increases as their soul strengthens. Since their soul and body are the same, as the soul grows more durable, the Kaigu also grows more physically durable in return.
Magical Costs: Emotional sensitivity. As mentioned, a Kaigu can only maintain its form through positive emotions, and negative emotions will begin to deplete its soul/body. To an extent, this means that Kaigu are naturally limited by their level of innocence, needing to be pure-hearted to exist. Note, though, that this doesn't mean kaigu are incapable of evil, just that they must not feel guilty about it, and must rationalize it in a way that they believe they're being helpful and/or being praised and/or appreciated for it.