The Wan Torum Pony

Originally hailing from the dwarven city of Wan Torum and the halfling city situated above it,  the two cities working in odd symbiosis, the Wan Torum pony is something very else.
They were just ordinary ponies until The Turbulence struck Wan Torum and made the whole area heavily magically active. All the inhabitants on the area, as well as all flora and fauna, changed. So did the ponies. These ponies became magical beasts with minor supernatural abilities. They are regarded as icons of Wan Torum Dwarves and thus kept both as pets and beasts of burden.

Basic Information

Anatomy

They still resemble a normal pony: strong stubby legs with hooves and chubby frame well-suited for traveling in the tunnels. But what makes them different from normal ponies, is that their coloration can range from normal chestnuts and whites to blue, green and purple. Their hooves are strong, almost stonelike material with which, aided by their inborn magical abilities, they are able to climb up extremely steep walls, yet they do not like to walk upside down, so it is not known if they can do so or not, as trying to force a Wan Torum pony to do something they do not like usually ends up badly because these creatures are stubborn to a fault.
Other distinctive feature is that small crystals grow on their skin, usually on their head and cheeks, but also on the legs and underside of the stomach. They start as small hardened patches of skin, slowly growing with the animal as they age. The oldest ponies have proper hard crystals growing on them like stalagmites. They don't seem to bother the animals and they like to scratch them on the cave surfaces either because they itch or marking the area with their scent. Some researchers have proposed that they might leave a magical mark instead of a scent mark, but the debate is still ongoing.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Wan Torum ponies are harder to breed than an average pony. They are picky about their partners and courtship is an important part of the social life of these ponies. They often mate for life, but can abandon their mates if they think they are not the same anymore; for example, if their mate looks completely different than before (which often with older ponies means that they've lost a distinctively large crystal they carried or so on) or smells different.

Growth Rate & Stages

The Wan Torum ponies live three times longer than your ordinary pony: the oldest can be almost a hundred years old.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They eat what normal equines eat, but a very important part of the Wan Torum ponies' diet is supplement made of ground magical crystals only found on areas which are magically active, like wild magic areas. Wild herds often break apart the crystals themselves, but domesticated ponies should be fed with a proper supply of the crystal powder, otherwise the ponies will wither away and slowly die. This special diet is the main reason the breed hasn't spread too far away from its original habitat.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

These odd ponies are able to see better in the dark than your ordinary pony. Their hearing is extraordinary and their sense of smell is thought to be very keen, resulting into a popular dwarven saying: "The pony snorts at it", when talking about suspicious things which don't usually seem dangerous at first.
Their heightened senses are thought to be result of the very same happening ( The Turbulence ) which caused the other animal and fauna on the area they are from to change.

Scientific Name

Horse

Origin/Ancestry

Originally didn't differ much from other ponies in the continent of Madovar

Lifespan

80 to 120 years

Conservation Status

Protected status in the city of Wan Torum. The species is endemic to the area.

Average Height

1 meter at withers.