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Elepha

Found in: Anaxas, Bastia

Elepha (both plural and singular) are miniature elephants, about 2-3 feet high in their adulthood, found in the forests of Anhai valley. They have a soft vellus coat of fur, and can blend almost entirely into their surroundings because of the moss that naturally clings to their fur. This natural camouflage is particularly useful when eluding their main predators, the forest cats.

Despite their size, which is considerably smaller than their larger counterparts the elephants, the elepha are quite heavy and their tusks can be very deadly to smaller foe when they charge. The valley wicks are careful not to induce the rage of a mother elepha, who could charge and break their shins quite easily. On the whole, however, elepha are mainly docile and relatively shy. They can be friendly to familiar faces, but they are not tameable; as house pets, they are universally destructive, messy and often die quickly in captivity. For this reason, wicks think they are best left to the forests.

Garmon

Found in: Anaxas, Bastia, Hesse, Gior

The garmon is a herd animal found on the Anaxi plains and many others places in Vita. The garmon is a temperamental animal, often martial without provocation. The meat is not highly sought-after, but is a cheap and tasty alternative to beef for many Anaxi townships as well as nomadic wicks. Garmons travel in packs and are very family-oriented. Their primary predator is the bander wolf.

Huthah (Spinewolves)

Found in: Hox

Spinewolves, or Huthah, are large, bander-like mammals with ivory spikes along their necks. The adults range in size from 4' to 6' high at the shoulder. Their colors range from black to white, sandy brown, to deep, rich reds. Their markings are an interwoven mix of stripes along the lower portions of their bodies, around their legs and bellies, to spots along their backs and tails- these markings fading to light grays or disappearing entirely in the winter months, when their fur changes to a snowy white. They often live in small, family packs, consisting of five to ten members, occasionally more, depending on how many pups are born in a given year.

Spinewolves are naturally wild and dangerous, and highly adaptable, but some have managed to tame the beasts, taking them from their packs as pups. It has been rumored that certain barbaric tribes use them as mounts for battle, though this is unconfirmed. Due to their pack mentality, once tamed, Huthah are fiercely loyal, willing to lay their lives down for their owner.

These animals can be found in the mountainous region of Hox, where their thick fur protects them from the cold.

Kluiw

Found in: Gior

Large, pure white, thick furred mountain cat. Standing 3-4 foot at the shoulder. Related to osta's, the Kluiw have large, fluffy ears that they tuck against their heads when not hunting, to retain heat, and long thick tails used for balance in the snowy, rocky regions of Gior. They have large, wide, well furred paws, which act like snowshoes as they walk across the snow. Their faces are slightly shorter than osta's, with large yellow eyes and long sensitive whiskers. Kluiw communicate with deep throated chirrups and growls, retaining the photographic memory of their osta cousins in some respects, the big cats can find their way back to Gior from as far as Anaxas. The thick, luxuriant fur of these cats is rather heavily sought after, causing them to be hunted into near extinction. Shy creatures, you would be hard pressed to see one of these creatures in the wild.

Kyurex

Found in: Gior

Commonly known as the Ghost Fox, the Kyurex is a small quadruped creature. They are thin, with long ears, and large, bright white eyes. A thick mane of fur runs down their back, leading to a bushy tail. They are a small animal, standing 1-2ft at the shoulder, with a lifespan of approx 15 years.

Most Kyurex are born pure white, with same deviance into grays, and those kept in captivity are usually well groomed to remain so. In the wild though it is not uncommon to see dirtier brown or tan colored Kyurex, and almost all have heavy blood-stained legs and underbellies from their feeding habits.

Kyurex are native to the canyons of Gior, and suitably adapted to life there. They live in and among the rocky canyons, able to scale the walls with their dainty feet and lithe bodies. At night, whole packs of Kyurex can be heard echoing through the canyons.

The Kyurex are primarily scavengers. They travel in large family groups of around 20-30 individuals at a time. Mostly nocturnal, they move through the canyons at night looking for leftover carcasses from larger predators. Luckily they are uniquely adapted to withstand most kinds of bacteria in response to the possibility of decay.

Despite being scavengers, reports do indicate that when they are capable of taking down lone prey if they are desperate enough. In addition, Kyurex have been known to sporadically become aggressive, attacking travelers or livestock. It has been theorized this is due to an interaction with the mona after extensive conversations are performed in the Galdor cities.

Kyurex are capable of being domesticated, though they are a luxury that only the truly wealthy can afford, as they require a high amount of maintenance.

Lycat

Found in: Bastia

Lycat are a native creature of Bastia, mostly seen in the evening as they are a nocturnal creature. They are a four legged felinesque type animal standing approximately three feet high and with a body length of approximately three feet. This length however extends into a long neck and an even longer thin tail, the tail being almost twice its body length. They have long legs with catlike claws and extremely long whispy ears. Their faces are small and triangular, almost rabbit like, with long almond shaped yellow eyes. Their soft medium length fur is smooth and a gentle deep blue, paler on the chest and neck. Males of the species tend to grow a small mane, and have darker stripes on their flank. They have a lifespan of approx 30 years.

Lycat breed with the same mate for life, and will spawn litters of one or two kits at a time. The kits are black at birth, but lighten up over the first few months. Parents are violently protective of their infants, and have been known to take on chroves to protect their kits.

Often mistaken for a cat subspecies, Lycats are actually more closely related to hingles and are native to the sparse remaining forests of Bastia, living in the tree branches. They aren’t known to make sounds, so it is unclear on how they communicate with each other.

The Lycat are skilled hunters. They hunt at night either alone or with their life mate. If they are unmated, they are a solitary creature and do not enjoy the company of other Lycats.

Lycats do not domesticate well, and although it is possible to own one if you manage to get a kit, they are known to turn on their owners at random. Whilst a beautiful creature to behold, with grace and softpawed flair, it is better to be safe then sorry, and leave these beasts in the wild.

Miraan

Found in: Southern Hesse (wild), Six Kingdoms (domesticated)

The Miraan, also known as a "Teacup Drake," is a tiny animal that looks like a cross between serpent and bat. They are often considered small cousins of the Drake, though anyone well versed in Biology knows this is not the case. A full-grown Miraan can reach up to three feet in length, though most of this consists of tail and neck, it's body generally being small enough to fit in a teacup, excluding the wings, which span the length of the Miraan, from nose to the tip of the tail. The males range in color, often vibrant blues and greens, and occasionally reds and violets. Neutral colors are rare, and range on the grayscale between black and white. Female Miraan are always metallic, colors ranging in silver, gold, or copper.

Miraan tend to be mischievous pets, naturally curious, and very clever. They can be taught tricks, if one has the patience to train them, and make great messengers, as they are quick flyers and have a naturally high endurance.

Midlands Tiger

Found in: Anaxas, Bastia, Hesse

A species of tigers found in the mountains that run along the border between Bastia, Gior and Hesse. They are pale gold in color, with faint brown stripes running along the from the back down the sides of their body, and pure white fur on their underbellies and along the backs of their limbs. They stand roughly 3 ft to 4.5 ft tall at the shoulders, and females are slightly larger than males, potentially reaching up to 15 feet in length. At their largest, the females can weigh up to 900 pounds. These tigers are considered particularly effective predators, with few natural predators of their own. Hurte is frequently depicted as a Midland Tiger.

Morgan

Found in: Hox, northern Mugroba, Vezzea

Morgans are small mammals (about four inches long, not including the tail) native to Hox, Vezzea and northern parts of Mugroba. They look like a mixture between shrews and mice, with elongated limbs, five-toed feet with partially opposable thumbs, and a long ratlike tail. They have tawny brown coats with fawn-colored spots. They are considered pests and are often hunted by cats or ostas. In Anaxas, however, the exotic nature of the animal has led to a few misguided attempts to tame and keep them as pets. Morgans are not very intelligent and are feral by nature, and can be fairly destructive if kept in a home.

Piikii

Found in: Northern Anaxas (Fen Kierden), Mugroba

Piikii are small monkeys that live in bogs and swamps (such as Fen Kierden). They are considered sentient, being of far greater intelligence than other animals, and have the habit of mimicking anything they see. This tendency has given rise to the motherly phrases "piikii see, piikii do," and "cheeky as a piikii."

Terri Bird

Found in: Hesse, Hox

Terri birds are white with black stripes traveling down their bodies. They are foragers that tend to gather in cities and forests, and they eat anything as long as it's in small quantities. Native to the taiga of Hox and the plains of Hesse (with small variations in the bird in each location), the Terri has downy-like feathers have made them incredibly sought after. In the past they were often hunted and their feathers were used as decorative strips in mufflers or hats-- the bigger the strip the more expensive the item of clothing.

The Terri bird is on its way to extinction and there have been several laws banning Terri bird hunting, although poachers still exist that continue to hunt the quickly dwindling numbers of the small bird. These days, seeing a Terri bird is considered good luck, and some have even suggested that it has unknown magical properties. Most modern day scientists dismiss these speculations as myth.

Uliam

Found in: Mugroba

Uliam, sometimes called Quiet Wolf, or Hyaena Tacetus, is the laugh-less cousin of the hyena. They are a omnivorous species that can consume many things, including vegetation, prey animals and carrion, though scavenging is their main source of nutrients. Uliam grow to between 3-4 feet at the shoulder, and compete with other big predators with their versatile diet. Known to be pair or family hunters (usually a breeding pair and offspring), uliam mate for life. They have small litters of 2-4 cubs, which then spend two years with their parents before looking for their own hunting ground, or staying with their parents. While reclusive creatures, it has been discovered that they do recognize their own relatives, with offspring willingly allowing their parents to hunt within their territory.

The interesting thing about uliam is their lack of common vocalizations. They do not bark or yelp in social situations. Their communication seems to be purely physical cues and posturing. However, when caught in duststorms, they emit eerily high keeing howls in order to locate other members of their group. Because these shrieks are so specialized for sand storms, it is believed they cannot make other sounds.