Elemental Horses/Lanners/Kirin question

[Moonstar]

Ok, not sure if this goes here (if it's the wrong section please move if need be.) I'm a RPer/Fanfiction writer and I find myself wanting to use these legendary mounts as more than just transportation.

To those who have these steeds/flyers, how do you treat them?
-As Summons?
-Familiars?
-sort of like Pokemon, battle them then capture them with the whistle?
-or rescue them from their respective primals or gain their trust as they watch you battle?

I've been trying to come up with a reasonable or lore-sound way of having these mounts as more than mounts in RP and in writing. I've already been told they can't be summons as they aren't like Egis, but could they be another form of an Egi or manipulation of the elemental aether that our character could be forming into a shape that is familiar to them from the land they originate?

Just a question that I would love answered and could help move my writing or RP along.

Thank you all! <3

[Yamimarik]

/snip

Not gonna lie, you'd probably have much better luck with this sort of question and query over here in the lore section:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/forums/646-Lore

As far as I'm concerned they are just mounts you have either tamed (Chocobos) or obtained/been blessed with by others or the wild (the Birds/Ponies/Kirin) or... just don't think about it too much you'll get a headache (Fat Chocobo/Fat Moogle @.@ lol).

[JunseiKei]

~snip~

I, personally, wrote them off as familiars of the felled primals that absorbed a bit of their essence and harness great power themselves, regardless if the steeds realize it or not. That they could be a potential threat for the inept or in the hands of the ill-willed. So they were then taken in to keep them safe or from falling into the wrong hands. In game, their descriptions say they were nightmares offered up to the primals by their respective worshippers and that the nightmares themselves were acquired by the Ascians. (Aside from Kirin and Boreas (Shiva's mount, who was made from a sacrificed unicorn)).

[Bloody]

Description of ponies says they were sacrificed Nightmares to said primal. Make your own story how you got the pony after slaying said primal. I don't have all the Lanners yet, but at least Bismarck's says it was blessed just by being in his presence, so that would have an alternate story-concept of acquisition.

[ServerCollaps]

Description of ponies says they were sacrificed Nightmares to said primal. Make your own story how you got the pony after slaying said primal. I don't have all the Lanners yet, but at least Bismarck's says it was blessed just by being in his presence, so that would have an alternate story-concept of acquisition.

same for the dark lanner, it became purple because its nest was close to nidhogg

[MiniPrinny]

same for the dark lanner, it became purple because its nest was close to nidhogg

Yeah, all the lanners are pretty heavily implied to be just birds that nest(ed) near the primal (or dragon) in question. With one exception. The round lanner is a modern relative of an ancient Ishgardian falcon whose whistle you likely found in the dead hands of one of the Heavens' Ward.