All of the cool kids seem to have their own creature that they created; so, I wanted to get in on the fun. Also, it was an excuse to practice my soft-cell shading with a pinch of lighter line work.

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If you’re curious, here’s a bit of random information I was noodling on while I was coloring:

Working name: Mountain Ghosts. Their coloring is pale, and they’re rumored to appear and disappear at will. The truth is that they’re just very good at navigating the mountain tops. They have to keep to a fast walk or light jog only on flat land to prevent an unfortunate tangle.

Gear:
* Rope and weapons like picks. They hunt by cornering their prey on the mountain or ambushing them from above, but the weapons can also be used as backup climbing gear in a pinch. It’s considered childish to need to do so, though.
* Women bustier women usually wear binding tops to keep their boobs from getting in the way while climbing. Practicality, not modesty.

Romance and reproduction:
* Breeding season is in the late winter, and birthing season is in the early spring.
* Romantically monogamous, sexually polyamorous. An “old wive’s tale” is that more pleasure during breeding makes for greater fertility; since it’s sometimes difficult to reach more parts of their romantic partner, they bring in other sexual partners.
* Gestation period is pretty long - birthing season is the spring after breeding season, and the fawns have basic motor skills shortly after birth. There’s a short nursing period while their teeth come in.

Additional appearance notes:
* Their spring coat comes in slightly yellow so they have a greener appearance. Fawns are born with a lighter, green-tan-ish coat so that they can hide in the rocks and weeds.
* Females of the species have thinner, shorter horns, but there are two sets. Their mane is longer in the back than the front.
* The dark markings can appear anywhere, and sometimes is cause for teasing - ex. If it’s on someone’s muzzle, they might either be a good kisser or a kiss ass. Etc.
* Ghosts with lighter coloring are considered sneaky and potentially untrustworthy, and a common brag is to say that they could hunt with darker coloring, since it would require more skill.

Religion:
* They believe in but infrequently worship a non-gendered water deity whose alignment changes with the season and is capricious as hell.
* There’s no afterlife to speak of - it’s more of a “circle of life” style believe where you go back to feeding the plants.