Scuti

A race of magickally-created creatures that, while not Elves in and of themselves, were Elvish in origin. They appear as significant plot elements in both The Winterbough Saga and The Ballad of Adler Young.

Scuti Prime, the first scuti, was said to have been created as a result of some kind of accident suffered by King Irenaeus during his campaigns in the far north of Faerie, wherein his tail was severed from his body. Since the loss of his tail would entail the loss of prestige, Irenaeus used powerful magicks to ensure that his tail had sentience.

A scuti in form looks like a normal tail; however, at one end, it has two tiny vestigial arms, and two eyes. It has extremely powerful jaws with thin teeth, and by biting into its host, is able to tap into its host's mind, controlling it.

Under certain circumstances, if a host becomes incapacitated or otherwise intoxicated, a scuti can be disabled and removed from the host. In the long term, a scuti cannot exist without one type of host or another.

The Republic of Vulpitania, for reasons unknown, commissioned certain craftsfurs in Elfhame to create Tikki-Tick, an automaton that could serve as a mechanical host for a scuti. SALV Alice Chetsweeks, a scuti, was able to use this mechanical host to move about.

Scuti are known to exist in skunk-tail and fox-tail forms.

''“Scuti Prime, the Eldest and First of Our Kind, was King Irenaeus’ own tail. When they were severed, Scuti Prime continued to live, due to Fuma’s Holy Fire which flowed in the veins of the white-furred Conqueror. A combination of powerful magicks - and, according to legend, a dragon egg - granted Scuti Prime sapience. Later, unjustly cast out from Irenaeus’ presence, he sought the prison tower of the exiled ‘mad’ Queen Aelfhilde, who consented to provide him a mate in the form of her own enchanted tail, and from this royal pair is our line descended.“''

''“Love knows no boundaries of culture or species. When a Scuti’s host engages in venery, the match will produce offspring - even if the partners are of different species. Chances are evenly distributed between the host, the Scuti, and the partner as to which species the child will be. If both partners are host to Scuti, then in addition to the hosts’ offspring, there will also be Scuti eggs.“ -- ''SALV Alice Chetsweeks, The Ballad of Adler Young, explaining some of the history and biology of scuti.