Pet Facts



Braenon Facts

Research conducted on Braenon raised in captivity has led researches to believe that the Braenon have very poor eyesight. While their exemplary senses of smell and hearing more than make up for this, they tend to rely on their antennae more than anything else. Their antennae can be broken up into two parts that gather two different sets of information: the longer, thin part, called the 'stalk', and the rounded tip, called the 'bulb'.

The stalk contains very sensitive nerve endings specialized to pick up even the slightest vibration in the air. The Braenon is able to determine the location and general size of whatever animate object produces the vibrations based on which part of the stalk is hit with the brunt of the vibration, how much of the stalk picks them up, and how strong the vibration is. The nerves of the stalk are so acute that they can pick up the beating of the heart of a Koobi up to 100 yards away.

The bulb, on the other hand, contains specially developed heat-sensing organs, giving the Braenon something akin to thermal imaging: 'hot' objects, such as living creatures, stand out against the cooler background of earth and plants. This is extremely useful for hunting, as Braenon tend to prefer small, rodent-like creatures whose quick metabolisms cause their bodies to produce rather high amounts of heat.

The nerves of the stalk are closely tied to the Braenon's sense of hearing, as sounds are nothing more than vibrations in the air (sometimes a Braenon's stalks are referred to as 'a second set of ears'). Because of their boosted sense of hearing and poor sight, Braenon will sometimes employ the use of 'echolocation,' especially when hunting at night. They will emit a series of short, high-frequency 'chirps' that most other species are unable to hear. The sound waves of these chirps bounce off of solid objects, and their echoes are picked up by both the Braenon's stalks and ears. Depending on the strength of the echos and the time taken for them to bounce back, a Braenon is able to determine the size, location, and even features of anything or anyone in its path.

While a Braenon's wings are much too small to achieve flight, they are able to extend jumps by flapping their wings at up to 200 beats per minute. It is rumored that there is a small population of Braenon whose wings have evolved to a size that makes them capable of continued flight. However, nothing has been confirmed.

Braenon are very fast considering their short legs, able to achieve speeds of up to 45 mph in short bursts lasting no more than 60 seconds. Their long tails are used as rudders and their non-retractable claws act like cleats, gripping the ground and allowing them to quickly accelerate and make sharp turns. Many have been known to flap their wings in order to help them gain speed.

Braenon are thought to be one of the most innately intelligent species in Mistica. Feral Braenon have been known to be fully capable of picking up human speech in a matter of minutes after being exposed to it, often adapting between several different languages depending on the circumstances and what is needed. They have also been found communicating with several species of Misticpals.

Feral Braenon form family groups known as Bouquets. These groups are highly hierarchical in nature; the wisest Braenon often leads as Alpha. Contrary to most hierarchical systems, rank within a bouquet does not depend merely on strength, but relies mainly on wisdom and intelligence. The most capable Braenon is picked to lead rather than the one possessing the most brute strength. Likewise, Braenon ranks do not hold gender in account as many other species' hierarchical systems do. Male and female Braenon are equally likely to become Alpha of their bouquets, and the Alpha male is not necessarily the absolute leader of the bouquet; his mate may very well outrank him.

Braenon possess high levels of psychic ability, and as such are extremely in tune with one another's emotions as well as with the emotions and thoughts of any species they come into contact with. This psychic connection aids them by helping them to reserve the energy needed for long-distance communication if they have traveled far and are too weakened from the journey to chirp effectively. They merely utilize the psychic links formed within their Bouquets in order to speak to one another telepathically.

Braenon are omnivorous, but they prefer to eat berries more then meat.


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