Lupadi

A variety of magical canine found in Egivelyn, they resemble Earth's foxes. Lupadi tend to live for a century and in that time, they grow continuously from a small pup to the size of a large dog. Additionally, these creatures grow several tails successively. They are born with one small tail which grows for about ten years and once it has reached its full length, another tail begins to grow, branching out of the first one. Over their century lifespan lupadi can gain as many as ten tails. Thus, the more tails a lupadi has, the older, wiser and likely more powerful it tends to be.

Lupadi come in a variety of fur colors that denote their elemental affinity: fire lupadi have red fur, earth lupadi have brown fur, air lupadi have silver fur and water lupadi are white. Much like the landvaettir dragon, these fox-like quadrupeds have a type of magic and physiology dependent on the environment in which they are carried and born. Lupadi without a set magical orientation tend to suffer and die from complications of conflicting elements, again like the dragon. Unlike these dragons, the Lupadi are mammals that give live birth. Thus, pregnant females often adamantly refuse to move from the spot they mated in, and the mating male must hunt for and protect the female for the duration of her pregnancy, a period that lasts three to four months.

Society
Lupadi are skittish, cautious animals that do not interact with other creatures if they can manage it, especially humanoids. Packs seem to move around to protect themselves, following old scent trails only detectable to the lupadi themselves. Rarely will a sighting of one lupadi lead to finding the whole family, as they will have moved on as soon as possible. The only instance where a lupadi will not run is when a mating pair are stuck in the area of their mating. In these cases, the pack moves on and the pair rejoins them when the pups are strong enough to leave.

Packs seem to consist of an "alpha" mating pair, usually the oldest lupadi in the family, and their siblings and pups. A pack can have several generations in it. Packs rarely remain together in a visible group. When they travel, they take multiple routes to the same locations, usually regular hunting spots or mating grounds. When their trails cross with other packs, sometimes they leave and join that pack. Whether this is an accident or intended is not known, but it allows for genetic diversity within the elusive lupadi population.

Fire lupadi are gestated in hotter weather, and are especially prevalent if a pack lives near a desert or volcano. Water lupadi are the most common in Egivelyn, which is covered in marshland. They are also common near large bodies of water, like oceans or lakes or rivers. Second most common are earth lupadi, who are gestated in forests among thick underbrush. Air lupadi are the least common and are thought to be made when a female chooses a location high off the ground, such as in a large tree or on top of a hill. They are also common in mountains.

Shadow Lupadi
Shadow lupadi are rumored to live in cave systems and control shadow magic. Their pelts are pitch black and they are thought to be nocturnal. However, sightings of these kinds are very rare and a definitive study has never determined their existence due to Egivelyn's mainland politics. Many people believe they are merely a myth.