Prowlgrins
- "Suddenly, one by one, the egg sacs burst with a gentle popping sound and the tiny prowlgrin pups leaped free and high into the air."
- —The Winter Knights
Prowlgrins were large, froglike creatures with powerful legs, thick, sensitive feet and toes, enormous, upturned mouths similar to that of sperm whales, and thick, curly beards.
Domestication
First Age of Flight
Incredibly intelligent and loyal, prowlgrins were frequently used as beasts of burden, guards, and mounts. During stormchasing voyages in the First Age of Flight, Knights Academic lowered themselves into the Twilight Woods mounted on prowlgrins.
Part of becoming a knight was earned by domesticating and training your own prowlgrin. In The Winter Knights, Quint's prowlgrin became the biggest and strongest as Quint looked after the prowlgrin very well and pampered it, nicknaming it Tash. Vilnix' prowlgrin however was neglected and mistreated which led to Vilnix' prowlgrin being taken away.
Second Age of Flight
Later, during the Second Age of Flight, Freeglade Lancers patrolled, traveled, and battled sitting astride prowlgrin mounts. The prowlgrin mounts of the Freeglade Lancers would leap across the tree canopy, jumping from branch to branch, a practice known as "tree-cresting". Wild prowlgrins also migrated across the Deepwoods in this manner. Fenbrus Lodd had written a barkscroll about prowlgrins which Rook used to win the trust of his prowlgrin.
Third Age of Flight
In the Third Age of Flight, prowlgrins were used as beasts of burden in the phraxmines of the eastern Deepwoods and were known as pit prowlgrins. High-jumping was a sport popular in Hive.
Behaviour and Breeding
Prowlgrin pups hatched from eggs, and grew to their full size within a few months, feeding on bits of offal. They loved darkelm oil, and when their feet were coated in it, their tree-cresting ability increased.They communicated with a variety of squeals, barks, and whinnies, and purred when contented. They were scavengers, and wild prowlgrins often devoured the carcasses of creatures such as hammelhorns.
Known Types of Prowlgrins
There were several species or breeds of prowlgrin. The ones mentioned in the books were:
- Albino
- Black
- Brown
- Grey
- Orange
- Piebald
- Russet
- Skewbald
- Striped
- White
- White Spotted
Different colours of prowlgrins were known to react or behave differently. For example, grey prowlgrins were known for having dependability, but not a lot of spirit, whilst orange prowlgrins were slightly smaller, but more skittish - sleek and fast, but harder to handle. Later, during the Third Age of Flight, grey prowlgrins were said to have the best jumping abilities.
Notable Prowlgrins
- Blink
- Bolnix (prowlgrin of the Sepia Knight)
- Burrlix (prowlgrin of Celestia Helmstoft)
- Calix (prowlgrin of Celestia Helmstoft)
- Chinquix (prowlgrin of Rook)
- Codix (prowlgrin of Tillman Spoke)
- Dendrix (Freeglade Lancers)
- Dex (Freeglade Lancers)
- Dominix (Whisp)
- Emblix (prowlgrin of Tillman Spoke)
- Karg (Gabmora Gabtroll)
- Luxus (Freeglade Lancers)
- Lyrinx (Rufus Filatine)
- Matafix (prowlgrin of Tillman Spoke)
- Nixus (Tam Whytewinter)
- Pheddix (Freeglade Lancers)
- Quederix (Death-cheater)
- Ruffix (Cade Quarter)
- Rumblix (prowlgrin of Cade Quarter)
- Sadderix (Death-cheater)
- Sulix (Freeglade Lancers)
- Tallix (Nate and Slip)
- Tash (Quint)
- Vanquix (Screedius Tollinix)
- Vinchix (Garlinius Gernix)