Esper Behavior

The animals and plants on our Earth have been subjected to extensive study, classification, and observation over the centuries, but Esper studies are a new field. As EsperCorp’s Esper behaviorist, I’ve made a few notes on Espers and their interactions that I think agents might find helpful.

Espers are generated by human thoughts, so it’s not surprising that they often resemble real world animals. Glaucus does look strikingly like an owl! What’s more interesting, Glaucus act like owls in certain ways – when placed in proximity, Glaucus attack Cottle and Racha but will stay away from other Espers like Thrakos or Aurochs. It seems like owl-like Espers still retain their love of hunting small bugs and rodents. Espers don’t eat their prey in the same way that Earth animals do, of course, since Espers don’t have physical forms. But they defeat them and consume some of their essence for strength.

Some Espers are peaceful, others more violent by nature. Erawan, the three-headed elephant Esper, seems to enjoy trampling anything it comes across, whereas Iris would rather play with its fellow spirits. One big development we’ve found by studying Espers in their wild habitat (that is, not in the lab) is that many Espers are social creatures. For example, large groups of Myr usually live close together, hunt for food together and guard each other from outside threats.

I also took some time to study the relationship between bonded Espers and their agents. If an agent takes care of his or her Esper by feeding it candies and jellies, not letting it dissipate in battle, using it often, and treating it well, Espers give back some interesting benefits. Since Espers are emotional spirits, they have an effect on the agent they are bonded to. If an Esper appreciates you, it will infuse you with a peacefulness, happiness, or cheerfulness that you can’t quite explain. I often find myself humming when I spend time with my Mandra. On the other hand, if you’re a rotten owner and routinely abuse your Esper or let it get hurt, they make sure you know they’re upset! In one test, a mistreated Baku caused his agent to have nightmares; in another, a Banshee made its agent nervous and paranoid. Watch out, agents!

I highly recommend taking good care of the Espers you raise, and making sure they get time to exercise, hunt, and battle. They’re wonderful creatures and deserve our appreciation and respect. We all set out to do research in the name of science, but who knows? Maybe the Esper you bond with will turn out to be your best friend.