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WINTERGHAST INFO SHEET V.2
Posted 3 years agoThis is the second draft of a guideline sheet for my original species, the Winterghast.
Anatomy Diagram: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39782430/
Facial Anatomy: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39811537/
Parental Illustration: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43759998/
Paw Guide: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48333399/
Various Traits: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49067401/
Winterghasts are large ungulatigrade creatures, with flexible five-fingered paws on their forelimbs and cloven hooves on their hindlimbs. Their bodies are covered in varying lengths of fur, sometimes interspersed with other things like feathers or scales.
They possess a large mane that spans from their heads to the center of their chests and backs. Their tails also usually consist of the same long fur.
They are varied in appearance and display the color of the local matter where they manifested. Thus, a Winterghast from Pluto would be the same shades of red, cream, and white that the planetary body has. They also will sometimes display colors of native life on the planet, though this is far rarer due to how sparse that life is.
They always have a single pair of pale eyes lacking pupils or sclera. They reflect back light like a cat's. They have four nostrils with the lower pair usually appearing smaller.
Winterghasts have large sections of horns and protective protrusions on their heads. The largest of these are always a pair of antlers positioned on the tops of their heads like a deer's. These antlers and horns grow larger with age, and very young winterghasts often appear to have none at all.
Body structure: Winterghasts are creatures that manifest only in the presence of sub-freezing temperatures surrounding local material. It is unknown what exactly their bodies are made of, though they do indeed have mass and can interact with their environment. They appear to choose their level of mass however, and can float through atmospheres and vacuums alike like jellyfish. When traversing areas with significant gravity, they often choose to be affected by it as it allows them to travel faster. They cannot ignore gravity entirely however, and when caught in the gravity well of neutron stars and black holes, they are unable to escape.
Their bodies maintain structure no matter their interaction with their environment though, with a degree of flexibility. They can be stretched and crushed by their environments to a certain extent and suffer minimal damage, and they are virtually impervious to being stabbed, scratched, or clawed by others as their body eventually reconstitutes itself to its previous shape. If parts of their bodies are torn away however, they do not grow back and must be reattached, or the ghast must shrink itself and redistribute its matter to reform the part.
Relating to that point, Winterghasts have sizes directly correlated to their strength, which is amplified in colder temperatures. They can be larger than blue whales when in a near absolute zero environment. However, their smallest size is around that of a white-tailed deer, and if they lose power when at that size they begin to sublimate away into nothing.
Needless to say, they are rather difficult to study scientifically because of their extraordinary abilities.
Diet: Winterghasts do not have the internal biology required to consume and digest matter. Their mouths only lead to a large “lung”, and any matter they inhale is either assimilated if small enough, or coughed up if too large or possessing life. They occasionally appear to drink different sorts of liquids, when in reality only small portions of fluid are diffusing into the 'tissues' in their mouths and throats with the rest freezing and being crushed to dust in their beaks.
Reproduction: Winterghasts cannot reproduce sexually, lacking the structures to do so. They do not seem to normally experience sexual attraction, either. New Winterghasts are spontaneously 'manifested' in sub-freezing temperatures, taking several years to form completely into a mobile creature. If that temperature is not maintained, the ghast will evaporate away before it is fully formed.
With this being noted, winterghasts are all sexless, but will often choose their own pronouns and sometimes identify with different genders, depending on the cultures they encounter.
Diseases: Winterghasts do not seem to traditionally experience disease, being unable to contract infections of any sort. However, there are a few known conditions that affect winterghasts in a quasi-pathological way, these including:
Poisoning - Caused by detergents, thermite, phosphorus, and other chemicals with the potential to cause exothermic reactions with their bodies.
Antifreeze syndrome - Caused by a large amount of alcohol on or in a winterghast’s body combined with an ambient temperature above -170 degrees Fahrenheit. This differs from typical poisoning in that it also seems to dramatically change winterghast behavior until resolved - they become unstable, impulsive, and can lose their sense of preservation as they start following heat sources or getting in fights.
Star spots - A relatively benign condition wherein a winterghast’s skin becomes pebbled and glows in speckles. Not much is known about the cause of it, but the general consensus is an analogy to the immune reaction oysters employ to create pearls - the winterghast body is engulfing and isolating dust that cannot be easily assimilated into the body. Thus, star spots are usually most visible on exposed skin.
Overheating - Extended periods of time spent at temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius will kill a Winterghast slowly as its body shrinks, then eventually subliminates away. Winterghasts that are too warm show signs of distress by panting, becoming more sluggish, tearing at their own bodies with their beaks in an attempt to remove their fur, and seeking out sources of cold.
Other potential causes of death include being crushed under strong gravity, exposure to strong acids or bases, or being torn apart with enough persistence by an attacker.
Winterghasts can be found all over the universe, whether it's traversing massive clouds of cosmic dust, trotting over the surfaces of frozen planets, or floating peacefully in the dark vacuum of space. They do not need an atmosphere, as they do not need to breathe. If a planet is cold or large enough, it's common to find multiple ghasts populating it, either all formed there originally or with some having drifted from other places. They avoid areas close to stars and are more numerous on the edges of solar systems.
Some winterghasts are ‘aquatic’, swimming through oceans of liquid other than freshwater. These ghasts usually have shorter, sleeker fur, and their manes are famously shiny.
Though they largely lack biological systems, Winterghasts still display impressively varied behavior and are capable of learning, communicating, and experiencing complex thought. They are entirely sentient and sapient. Younger Winterghasts are more playful than older ones and seek out sensory experiences such as drinking, playing in snow or dust, floating in high winds, and sparring with other creatures they find, whether they be other ghasts or another cold-hardy lifeform. They enjoy butting heads like bucks do. If an older winterghast finds a younger one in the process of forming, they will often guard the area and care for the younger ghast once it is able to move. This is affectionately known as nesting, as the care can include building defenses around the vulnerable embryo.
Winterghasts have their own set of vocalizations that they are capable of creating, with the most common being a low, vibrating drone that passes through most solid material. They also give short chirps, twanging sounds that sound like ice being struck, and dry purrs when content. Their most formidable sound is their scream, a high-pitched and horrible screech that carries for miles and disorients surrounding creatures drastically.
If they are around other species with advanced communication, they will often teach themselves to use it in lieu of these sounds, though they may not be able to imitate all aspects of the communication accurately. This can be seen with forms of sign language, given that winterghast hands, while able to grab and lift, aren’t especially dexterous.
They delight in learning, no matter the form that learning comes in. Many enjoy books if they have encountered a species that uses them, and they are often discovered when they follow spaceships out of curiosity.
Despite not participating in sexual reproduction, pairs and even groups of ghasts will sometimes form strong and unbreakable bonds. They have a tendency to do this with other intelligent species as well. While they don’t have any sexual structures themselves, they appreciate sensory exchange like petting or cuddling in order to bond.
Nobody quite knows how long Winterghasts have existed for, and they have no centralized society to keep records of where the oldest of them reside. Such creatures can only be found through exploring and word of mouth.
Earth in its earlier ice ages was home to several Winterghasts who delighted in the presence of other life. However, all but one left in the last ice age, the outlier being a ghast named Eleanor who has bitterly refused to leave the planet she manifested on, even as it becomes too warm for her to survive there. Currently she poses a danger to humans and other creatures alike, lashing out violently as the temperature grows.
Anatomy Diagram: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39782430/
Facial Anatomy: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39811537/
Parental Illustration: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/43759998/
Paw Guide: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/48333399/
Various Traits: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/49067401/
Winterghasts are an open species of quadrupedal, furred, intergalactically-distributed aliens created by Montydragon.
Species Description Winterghasts are large ungulatigrade creatures, with flexible five-fingered paws on their forelimbs and cloven hooves on their hindlimbs. Their bodies are covered in varying lengths of fur, sometimes interspersed with other things like feathers or scales.
They possess a large mane that spans from their heads to the center of their chests and backs. Their tails also usually consist of the same long fur.
They are varied in appearance and display the color of the local matter where they manifested. Thus, a Winterghast from Pluto would be the same shades of red, cream, and white that the planetary body has. They also will sometimes display colors of native life on the planet, though this is far rarer due to how sparse that life is.
They always have a single pair of pale eyes lacking pupils or sclera. They reflect back light like a cat's. They have four nostrils with the lower pair usually appearing smaller.
Winterghasts have large sections of horns and protective protrusions on their heads. The largest of these are always a pair of antlers positioned on the tops of their heads like a deer's. These antlers and horns grow larger with age, and very young winterghasts often appear to have none at all.
BiologyBody structure: Winterghasts are creatures that manifest only in the presence of sub-freezing temperatures surrounding local material. It is unknown what exactly their bodies are made of, though they do indeed have mass and can interact with their environment. They appear to choose their level of mass however, and can float through atmospheres and vacuums alike like jellyfish. When traversing areas with significant gravity, they often choose to be affected by it as it allows them to travel faster. They cannot ignore gravity entirely however, and when caught in the gravity well of neutron stars and black holes, they are unable to escape.
Their bodies maintain structure no matter their interaction with their environment though, with a degree of flexibility. They can be stretched and crushed by their environments to a certain extent and suffer minimal damage, and they are virtually impervious to being stabbed, scratched, or clawed by others as their body eventually reconstitutes itself to its previous shape. If parts of their bodies are torn away however, they do not grow back and must be reattached, or the ghast must shrink itself and redistribute its matter to reform the part.
Relating to that point, Winterghasts have sizes directly correlated to their strength, which is amplified in colder temperatures. They can be larger than blue whales when in a near absolute zero environment. However, their smallest size is around that of a white-tailed deer, and if they lose power when at that size they begin to sublimate away into nothing.
Needless to say, they are rather difficult to study scientifically because of their extraordinary abilities.
Diet: Winterghasts do not have the internal biology required to consume and digest matter. Their mouths only lead to a large “lung”, and any matter they inhale is either assimilated if small enough, or coughed up if too large or possessing life. They occasionally appear to drink different sorts of liquids, when in reality only small portions of fluid are diffusing into the 'tissues' in their mouths and throats with the rest freezing and being crushed to dust in their beaks.
Reproduction: Winterghasts cannot reproduce sexually, lacking the structures to do so. They do not seem to normally experience sexual attraction, either. New Winterghasts are spontaneously 'manifested' in sub-freezing temperatures, taking several years to form completely into a mobile creature. If that temperature is not maintained, the ghast will evaporate away before it is fully formed.
With this being noted, winterghasts are all sexless, but will often choose their own pronouns and sometimes identify with different genders, depending on the cultures they encounter.
Diseases: Winterghasts do not seem to traditionally experience disease, being unable to contract infections of any sort. However, there are a few known conditions that affect winterghasts in a quasi-pathological way, these including:
Poisoning - Caused by detergents, thermite, phosphorus, and other chemicals with the potential to cause exothermic reactions with their bodies.
Antifreeze syndrome - Caused by a large amount of alcohol on or in a winterghast’s body combined with an ambient temperature above -170 degrees Fahrenheit. This differs from typical poisoning in that it also seems to dramatically change winterghast behavior until resolved - they become unstable, impulsive, and can lose their sense of preservation as they start following heat sources or getting in fights.
Star spots - A relatively benign condition wherein a winterghast’s skin becomes pebbled and glows in speckles. Not much is known about the cause of it, but the general consensus is an analogy to the immune reaction oysters employ to create pearls - the winterghast body is engulfing and isolating dust that cannot be easily assimilated into the body. Thus, star spots are usually most visible on exposed skin.
Overheating - Extended periods of time spent at temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius will kill a Winterghast slowly as its body shrinks, then eventually subliminates away. Winterghasts that are too warm show signs of distress by panting, becoming more sluggish, tearing at their own bodies with their beaks in an attempt to remove their fur, and seeking out sources of cold.
Other potential causes of death include being crushed under strong gravity, exposure to strong acids or bases, or being torn apart with enough persistence by an attacker.
HabitatWinterghasts can be found all over the universe, whether it's traversing massive clouds of cosmic dust, trotting over the surfaces of frozen planets, or floating peacefully in the dark vacuum of space. They do not need an atmosphere, as they do not need to breathe. If a planet is cold or large enough, it's common to find multiple ghasts populating it, either all formed there originally or with some having drifted from other places. They avoid areas close to stars and are more numerous on the edges of solar systems.
Some winterghasts are ‘aquatic’, swimming through oceans of liquid other than freshwater. These ghasts usually have shorter, sleeker fur, and their manes are famously shiny.
Behavior and IntelligenceThough they largely lack biological systems, Winterghasts still display impressively varied behavior and are capable of learning, communicating, and experiencing complex thought. They are entirely sentient and sapient. Younger Winterghasts are more playful than older ones and seek out sensory experiences such as drinking, playing in snow or dust, floating in high winds, and sparring with other creatures they find, whether they be other ghasts or another cold-hardy lifeform. They enjoy butting heads like bucks do. If an older winterghast finds a younger one in the process of forming, they will often guard the area and care for the younger ghast once it is able to move. This is affectionately known as nesting, as the care can include building defenses around the vulnerable embryo.
Winterghasts have their own set of vocalizations that they are capable of creating, with the most common being a low, vibrating drone that passes through most solid material. They also give short chirps, twanging sounds that sound like ice being struck, and dry purrs when content. Their most formidable sound is their scream, a high-pitched and horrible screech that carries for miles and disorients surrounding creatures drastically.
If they are around other species with advanced communication, they will often teach themselves to use it in lieu of these sounds, though they may not be able to imitate all aspects of the communication accurately. This can be seen with forms of sign language, given that winterghast hands, while able to grab and lift, aren’t especially dexterous.
They delight in learning, no matter the form that learning comes in. Many enjoy books if they have encountered a species that uses them, and they are often discovered when they follow spaceships out of curiosity.
Despite not participating in sexual reproduction, pairs and even groups of ghasts will sometimes form strong and unbreakable bonds. They have a tendency to do this with other intelligent species as well. While they don’t have any sexual structures themselves, they appreciate sensory exchange like petting or cuddling in order to bond.
HistoryNobody quite knows how long Winterghasts have existed for, and they have no centralized society to keep records of where the oldest of them reside. Such creatures can only be found through exploring and word of mouth.
Earth in its earlier ice ages was home to several Winterghasts who delighted in the presence of other life. However, all but one left in the last ice age, the outlier being a ghast named Eleanor who has bitterly refused to leave the planet she manifested on, even as it becomes too warm for her to survive there. Currently she poses a danger to humans and other creatures alike, lashing out violently as the temperature grows.
WINTERGHAST INFO SHEET
Posted 5 years agoThis is the first draft of a guide sheet for my original species, the Winterghast.
Anatomy Diagram: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39782430/
Winterghasts are large ungulatigrade creatures, with flexible five-fingered paws on their forelimbs and cloven hooves on their hindlimbs. Their bodies are covered in varying lengths of fur.
They possess a large mane that spans from their heads to the center of their chests and backs. Their tails also consist of the same long fur, the length increasing the further the position on the tail.
They are varied in appearance and display the color of the local matter where they manifested. Thus, a Winterghast from Pluto would be the same shades of red, cream, and white that the planetary body has. They also will sometimes display colors of native life on the planet, though this is far rarer due to how sparse that life is.
They always have a single pair of pale eyes lacking pupils or sclera. They reflect back light like a cat's. They have four nostrils with the lower pair appearing smaller.
Winterghasts have large sections of horns and protective protrusions on their heads. The largest of these are always a pair of antlers positioned on the tops of their heads like a deer's. These antlers and horns grow larger with age, and very young winterghasts often appear to have none at all.
Body structure: Winterghasts are creatures that manifest only in the presence of sub-freezing temperatures surrounding local material. It is unknown what exactly their bodies are made of, though they do indeed have tangible qualities and can interact with their environment. They can appear to choose this level of tangibility however, and can float through atmospheres and vacuums alike like jellyfish, or pass through small sections of solid material without damaging it. When traversing areas with significant gravity, they often choose to be affected by it as it allows them to travel faster. They cannot ignore gravity entirely however, and when caught in the gravity well of neutron stars and black holes, they are unable to escape.
Their bodies do maintain structure no matter their interaction with their environment though, with a degree of flexibility. They can be stretched and crushed by their environments to a certain extent and suffer minimal damage, and they are virtually impervious to being stabbed, scratched, or clawed by others as their body simply reconstitutes itself to its previous shape. If parts of their bodies are torn away however, they do not grow back and must be reattached, or the ghast must shrink itself and redistribute its matter to reform the part.
Relating to that point, Winterghasts have sizes directly correlated to their strength, which is amplified in colder temperatures. They can be larger than blue whales when in a near absolute zero environment. However, their smallest size is around that of a white-tailed deer, and if they lose power when at that size they begin to sublimate away into nothing.
Diet: Winterghasts do not have the internal biology required to consume and digest matter. Their mouths only lead to a large lung, and any matter they inhale is either assimilated if small enough, or coughed up if too large or possessing life. They occasionally appear to drink different sorts of liquids, when in reality only small portions of fluid are diffusing into the 'tissues' in their mouths and throats with the rest freezing and being crushed to dust in their beaks.
Reproduction: Winterghasts cannot reproduce sexually, lacking the biology to do so. They do not seem to experience sexual attraction, either. New Winterghasts are spontaneously 'manifested' in sub-freezing temperatures, taking several years to form completely into a mobile creature. If that temperature is not maintained, the ghast will evaporate away before it is fully formed.
With this being noted, winterghasts are all sexless, but will often choose their own pronouns and sometimes identify with different genders.
Diseases: Being relatively disconnected from traditionally understood biology, Winterghasts do not seem to experience disease. They can however be killed, with the most common cause of death being excessive heat. Extended periods of time spent at temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius will kill a Winterghast slowly as its body shrinks, then eventually subliminates away. They can also be crushed under strong gravity or torn completely apart with enough persistence by an attacker... presuming that it does not fight back.
Winterghasts that are too warm show signs of distress by panting, becoming more sluggish, tearing at their own bodies with their beaks in an attempt to remove their fur, and seeking out sources of cold.
Winterghasts can be found all over the universe, whether it's traversing massive clouds of cosmic dust, trotting over the surfaces of frozen planets, or floating peacefully in the dark vacuum of space. If a planet is cold or large enough, it's common to find multiple ghasts populating it, either all formed there originally or with some having drifted from other places. They avoid areas close to stars and are more numerous on the edges of solar systems.
Though they largely lack biological systems, Winterghasts still display impressively varied behavior and are capable of learning, communicating, and experiencing complex thought. They are entirely sentient and sapient. Younger Winterghasts are more playful than older ones and seek out sensory experiences such as drinking, playing in snow or dust, floating in high winds, and sparring with other creatures they find, whether they be other ghasts or another cold-hardy lifeform. They enjoy butting heads like bucks do. If an older winterghast finds a younger one in the process of forming, they will sometimes guard the area and care for the younger ghast once it is able to move.
Winterghasts have their own set of vocalizations that they are capable of creating, with the most common being a low, vibrating drone that passes through most solid material. They also give short chirps, twanging sounds that sound like ice being struck, and dry purrs when content. Their most formidable sound is their scream, a high-pitched and horrible screech that carries for miles and disorients surrounding creatures drastically.
If they are around other species with advanced communication, they will often teach themselves to use it in lieu of these sounds, though they may not be able to imitate all aspects of the communication accurately.
They delight in learning, no matter the form that learning comes in. Many enjoy books if they have encountered a species that uses them.
Despite not participating in sexual reproduction, pairs and even groups of ghasts will sometimes form strong and unbreakable bonds. They have a tendency to do this with other intelligent species as well. If in a bond with a sexually-driven individual of another species, the ghast may agree to pleasure them, but will have no sexual desires for itself (though it may very much want to cuddle instead).
Nobody quite knows how long Winterghasts have existed for, and they have no centralized society to keep records of where the oldest of them reside. Such creatures can only be found through exploring and word of mouth.
Earth in its earlier ice ages was home to several Winterghasts who delighted in the presence of other life. However, all but one left in the last ice age, the outlier being a ghast named Eleanor who has bitterly refused to leave the planet she manifested on, even as it becomes too warm for her to survive there.
Anatomy Diagram: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/39782430/
Winterghasts are a species of quadripedal, furred, semi-tangible aliens created by Montydragon. Species DescriptionWinterghasts are large ungulatigrade creatures, with flexible five-fingered paws on their forelimbs and cloven hooves on their hindlimbs. Their bodies are covered in varying lengths of fur.
They possess a large mane that spans from their heads to the center of their chests and backs. Their tails also consist of the same long fur, the length increasing the further the position on the tail.
They are varied in appearance and display the color of the local matter where they manifested. Thus, a Winterghast from Pluto would be the same shades of red, cream, and white that the planetary body has. They also will sometimes display colors of native life on the planet, though this is far rarer due to how sparse that life is.
They always have a single pair of pale eyes lacking pupils or sclera. They reflect back light like a cat's. They have four nostrils with the lower pair appearing smaller.
Winterghasts have large sections of horns and protective protrusions on their heads. The largest of these are always a pair of antlers positioned on the tops of their heads like a deer's. These antlers and horns grow larger with age, and very young winterghasts often appear to have none at all.
BiologyBody structure: Winterghasts are creatures that manifest only in the presence of sub-freezing temperatures surrounding local material. It is unknown what exactly their bodies are made of, though they do indeed have tangible qualities and can interact with their environment. They can appear to choose this level of tangibility however, and can float through atmospheres and vacuums alike like jellyfish, or pass through small sections of solid material without damaging it. When traversing areas with significant gravity, they often choose to be affected by it as it allows them to travel faster. They cannot ignore gravity entirely however, and when caught in the gravity well of neutron stars and black holes, they are unable to escape.
Their bodies do maintain structure no matter their interaction with their environment though, with a degree of flexibility. They can be stretched and crushed by their environments to a certain extent and suffer minimal damage, and they are virtually impervious to being stabbed, scratched, or clawed by others as their body simply reconstitutes itself to its previous shape. If parts of their bodies are torn away however, they do not grow back and must be reattached, or the ghast must shrink itself and redistribute its matter to reform the part.
Relating to that point, Winterghasts have sizes directly correlated to their strength, which is amplified in colder temperatures. They can be larger than blue whales when in a near absolute zero environment. However, their smallest size is around that of a white-tailed deer, and if they lose power when at that size they begin to sublimate away into nothing.
Diet: Winterghasts do not have the internal biology required to consume and digest matter. Their mouths only lead to a large lung, and any matter they inhale is either assimilated if small enough, or coughed up if too large or possessing life. They occasionally appear to drink different sorts of liquids, when in reality only small portions of fluid are diffusing into the 'tissues' in their mouths and throats with the rest freezing and being crushed to dust in their beaks.
Reproduction: Winterghasts cannot reproduce sexually, lacking the biology to do so. They do not seem to experience sexual attraction, either. New Winterghasts are spontaneously 'manifested' in sub-freezing temperatures, taking several years to form completely into a mobile creature. If that temperature is not maintained, the ghast will evaporate away before it is fully formed.
With this being noted, winterghasts are all sexless, but will often choose their own pronouns and sometimes identify with different genders.
Diseases: Being relatively disconnected from traditionally understood biology, Winterghasts do not seem to experience disease. They can however be killed, with the most common cause of death being excessive heat. Extended periods of time spent at temperatures above 0 degrees Celsius will kill a Winterghast slowly as its body shrinks, then eventually subliminates away. They can also be crushed under strong gravity or torn completely apart with enough persistence by an attacker... presuming that it does not fight back.
Winterghasts that are too warm show signs of distress by panting, becoming more sluggish, tearing at their own bodies with their beaks in an attempt to remove their fur, and seeking out sources of cold.
HabitatWinterghasts can be found all over the universe, whether it's traversing massive clouds of cosmic dust, trotting over the surfaces of frozen planets, or floating peacefully in the dark vacuum of space. If a planet is cold or large enough, it's common to find multiple ghasts populating it, either all formed there originally or with some having drifted from other places. They avoid areas close to stars and are more numerous on the edges of solar systems.
Behavior and IntelligenceThough they largely lack biological systems, Winterghasts still display impressively varied behavior and are capable of learning, communicating, and experiencing complex thought. They are entirely sentient and sapient. Younger Winterghasts are more playful than older ones and seek out sensory experiences such as drinking, playing in snow or dust, floating in high winds, and sparring with other creatures they find, whether they be other ghasts or another cold-hardy lifeform. They enjoy butting heads like bucks do. If an older winterghast finds a younger one in the process of forming, they will sometimes guard the area and care for the younger ghast once it is able to move.
Winterghasts have their own set of vocalizations that they are capable of creating, with the most common being a low, vibrating drone that passes through most solid material. They also give short chirps, twanging sounds that sound like ice being struck, and dry purrs when content. Their most formidable sound is their scream, a high-pitched and horrible screech that carries for miles and disorients surrounding creatures drastically.
If they are around other species with advanced communication, they will often teach themselves to use it in lieu of these sounds, though they may not be able to imitate all aspects of the communication accurately.
They delight in learning, no matter the form that learning comes in. Many enjoy books if they have encountered a species that uses them.
Despite not participating in sexual reproduction, pairs and even groups of ghasts will sometimes form strong and unbreakable bonds. They have a tendency to do this with other intelligent species as well. If in a bond with a sexually-driven individual of another species, the ghast may agree to pleasure them, but will have no sexual desires for itself (though it may very much want to cuddle instead).
HistoryNobody quite knows how long Winterghasts have existed for, and they have no centralized society to keep records of where the oldest of them reside. Such creatures can only be found through exploring and word of mouth.
Earth in its earlier ice ages was home to several Winterghasts who delighted in the presence of other life. However, all but one left in the last ice age, the outlier being a ghast named Eleanor who has bitterly refused to leave the planet she manifested on, even as it becomes too warm for her to survive there.
