Hallowbat Manes (Patreon)

Fig I.

A Teal Hallowbat showing off its natural mane. The hair tends to clump in to spiky "shards", that look very striking in the light. Whilst most Stainglass Elves will braid and decorate their Hallowbat's mane, riders confident in the bond with their bat might keep its mane in this natural shaggy state, forgoing handholds for their partners comfort. This being said, there are few reports of wild Hallowbats going out of their way to decorate their own manes with odds and ends they find on the forest floor for purely aesthetic reasons. As any Glassfolk will tell you, each bat has its own preferences.

Fig 2.

A Lavender Hallowbat with a braided mane. Braids make excellent handholds during flight, and almost all riders will braid a small section of their partner's mane to hold onto during travel. Hallowbat hair is very spiky, like thin fibres of glass, and can only be braided by their bonded elf. Not only because the bat trusts them, but also the sharp hair would cut the hands of most persons besides the Glassfolk.

Fig 3.

A Scarlet Hallowbat decorated with silks and chains. Whilst  impractical for flight, a bat decorated in this manner would still be able to fly with ease, even if they might not be too happy about it. Bats bonded to those higher up in Stainglass Elf society might find themselves adorned like this quite frequently, from any reason from ceremonial purpose to aesthetic appeal.