Difference between revisions of "Fauna of Fastheld"

Revision as of 17:05, 18 February 2012

Fastheld has a wide variety of animal life fostered by its diverse terrain and climate. Many of the animals are utilized not only for their meat, but also for their furs, skins, and feathers used for decoration and other byproducts such as furniture, clothing, and tools.

Hunting

Hunting animals for sport is reserved mostly for the nobility, while Freelanders tend to hunt only for necessity. All hunting requires a permit of some type administered either by the House that owns the land, or in the case of property of the Empire, the Imperial Taxmaster.

Avians

The birds of Fastheld are limited in the number of species, but the variety within the species is broader in terms of size and color due to interspecies breeding.

Anae Stork

A graceful, long-legged bird, the Anae Stork is often found in starkly elegant poses, balanced on one or both of the aforementioned lengthy appendages. Its top coat of feathers is mostly a pristine white, tending towards pastel yellow (in general) at the tips, slightly dirtier yellows underneath. Bright green eyes prove a vivid contrast to that coloration, though in its verdant habitats, they remain one of the few parts of the bird that resemble camouflage. Other tip colors include shades of orange, red, and possibly blue (still an unsubstantiated rumor). Their body length from beak to tail ranges within 30-40 inches (75-101 cm.) with a wingspan of approximately 60 inches (1.5 m); the average weight of an adult male is 8 pounds (3.5-4 kg).

Its long, slightly curved beak is excellent for stabbing fish through the waters or scooping them up, especially when combined with the propelling power of its equally long neck. Everything about this bird, in fact, gives that impression of length - but its stalking movements are not clumsy all the same.

The Anae Stork is usually found in areas where it can access marshy wetlands, although it's fonder of areas close to human habitation than many other kinds of birds. It is a non-aggressive, peaceful animal that will run rather than fight unless its nest is threatened. The Anae Stork is also known for being a curiously quiet animal, almost silent in flight; it is for this reason, combined with their pale coloration, that some suspicious farmers call them 'ghost birds'.

Forester's Sparrow

Found just about everywhere, the Forester's Sparrow is a common songbird that's seen from one end of the known world to the other. Nesting in house eaves and trees, it is truly prolific and visible year-round. While never truly domesticated, the sparrow can be tamed if raised from a chick. Sparrows have been caged as pets for song in noble homes and taken by the Nillu into the mines near the Lode to act as a warning for those places where air has gone bad.

Children often imitate the sparrow's song, and it is a common scout signal used in both Imperial forces and for hunting. It is hunted lightly for its meat, which is slightly tough but has a vaguely sweet taste, and its bones and feathers which are used in jewlery, decoration, and to cut inexpensive quills.

Forrester's Sparrows, unlike some birds, do not appear in cycles, instead remaining in some proximity to their nesting space year-round. Females are simple in hue ranging from a light grey (most common) to charcoal-hued or dark brown, while the males have irridescent green, blue, or indigo wing-feathers and a remarkable capacity to imitate forest sounds, which they then use to attract a mate. Mated pairs return to the same nest each spring, but range wider through the winter months as food grows scarce. Their average body length is 7 inches (18 cm) with a wingspan of 14 inches (35.5 cm); the weight of the average adult male is approximately 8 ounces (227 g).

Like most birds, Forrester's Sparrows are flighty and quick to flee, preferring flight to conflict. Females have been known to play 'wounded', dragging a wing and acting hurt to lead predators away from a nest, but mated pairs will abandon unhatched eggs to predators and gatherers if the pretense fails.

Moss Jay

With a distinctive trilling cry, the Moss Jay is the herald of Spring, vanishing as the leaves turn and reappearing as the ground thaws. Considered a mark that the Shadow of winter is failing, its annual reappearance is also used by most farmers to begin planning their crop planting and plowing, as well as a sign to expect consistent warming after the bitter cold.

The Jays are often imitated by children, and their song is used by Scouts and Wildland Hunters as a call signifying danger is near.

Females are blue and grey, making them virtually invisible against the sky while in the nest, while Males are an olive, almost emerald green with red eyes, remarkably distinctive. The feathers of both male and female are prized for ornamentation and inexpensive quills, while their bones are used in ornamentation and in the creation of iridescent inks. In recent years, sightings of green females and blue males have led the consideration of a new Moss Jay subspecies. They reach a general body length of 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) and a wingspan upwards of 10 inches (25 cm); the average weight of an adult male is 6 ounces (170 g).

Moss Jays are found throughout all of Fastheld, from early spring until late fall. They are never seen in winter, vanishing mysteriously as the leaves turn and returning again just before the ground thaws. They build a new nest each year, usually high in the treetops or among roof-trees, with minimal shelter to the sky. Many put out birdhouses and hollowed gourds to attract them, as their song is considered particularly pleasant.

Each year is a new courtship ritual, and the air around Moss Jay nests is a riot of song during the spring. Like all songbirds, Moss Jays prefer to flee by flight rather than to fight a predator. They will defend their nest, however, until it is obvious it is lost, flying into the face of those that would attempt to thieve eggs and doing their best to drive the encroacher away.

Raven

Ravens are a staple avian throughout Fastheld, and while often found in the wild within the forests, they are also commonly held in roosts in each township large and small. With a small body length of approximately 8 inches (20 cm) and a wingspam of double that, the raven is extremely fast in flight. They are known for having a good memory for locations, and are often trained to run messenger routes between certain townships. In fact, they are the primary messenger bird of the realm, usually carrying the small documents tied to a leg.

Unlike other bird species, the raven is extremely limited in its appearance: due to careful breeding, they have maintained their all-black coloring for hundreds of years. Their feathers are glossy and sleek and are used commonly in quills. The raven is also a relatively silent bird, often only giving a single large 'caw' to alert others to their presence. They are hardy by nature, able to withstand weather extremes from heat to blizzards to rainstorms; unless they are shot down, they always deliver their messages on time.

Domesticated

Bearded Goat

The goat is one of the most common animals within Fastheld and is primarily used for its milk. Goat milk can be made into various byproducts including cream and cheese, while the hide is tanned for leather. They range widely in naturalistic hues from white and grey to black and brown, and their long, shaggy coats can be shorn and woven into a thick, sturdy thread. The warmth of their hair makes their coats most useful for winter clothing.

The goat's most remarkable features are their horns: long, sharp and jutting backward out of the bridge of their skull, the horns are often used for tools and decoration. The goat also has a tuft of hair at the chin that resemble beards. They stand nearly three feet tall (approximately one m), and weigh anywhere from 60-100 pounds (27 to 45 kg).

Once wild, the bearded goat can still be found in nearly all terrains on Fastheld except for the marshlands. They are a sturdy and gentle breed, can subsist on meager diets of grains, wild grasses, and scraps, and they are very commonly domesticated.

Landgrub

The landgrub is the most popular bird of Fastheld, and also the only flightless avian. It once inhabitated the plains regions, but over the past hundred years has found itself relying wholly on domestic breeding. It is a staple within the diet of nearly all Fastheldians from the peasants to the nobles, because it is cheaply raised and breeds easily and in great numbers.

The landgrub is a squat, fat bird with feather colors commonly being white, brown, orange, or black. It is commonly housed in a fenced-in yard because it cannot fly, and an average farmer will own one male for breeding and several females for laying eggs. Females can lay eggs whether or not they are fertilized, and the unfertilized ones are harvested for eating. The average weight of the landgrub ranges from 3-5 pounds (1.5-2.5 kg).

This domesticated bird can be maintained throughout the year, although during winter months is housed within a barn in order to protect the animals from exposure.

Mongoose

The symbol of house Mikin, the Mongoose is generally considered inquisitive, protective, and forthright, standing opposite the Zahir Nightslider and generally considered its enemy. Quick, astoundingly agile, and friendly, mongooses are hunted in the wild for their pelts and meat, but are generally regarded as a friendly, lucky creature and largely appreciated by those that encounter them.

Widely kept as pets, the mongoose has been domesticated for nearly four hundred years, and is associated with the heroic Scourges of times past, and is a symbol of the guardianship of the Light.

The mongoose colors vary depending on their habitats, but they tend toward the browns, greys, and whites found in nature. Their claws are exceptionally sharp and fierce, as are their teeth, and they are known for their slender and sleek builds. They have long fluffy tails, dark eyes, and whiskers on their snouts. The average length of the mongoose is anywhere from 18-36 inches (45-90 cm), and fully grown adult weighs approximately 7 pounds (3 kg).

Wild mongooses are found in the forested sections of Fastheld, as well as in the Azure Plains and the Northwatch Woods in the Wildlands. Interestingly, they are only rarely spotted in the Verdegris, and never seen near the water at Stillwater Lake. They travel in small groups, called 'mongaggles', usually one male, a small handful (two or three) females, and kits, being protective of each other and often sharing food and young-watching duties.

Mongooses are inquisitive, overcurious, and largely unafraid of man - remaining only wary of him in the wilds. Preyed on by larger predators, they, in turn, prey on snakes, insects, and vermin - often among the very baseboards and basements of the houses of Fastheld. Interestingly, though they are not immune to Nightslider venom, they have been known to attack the snakes on sight, without provocation - though they do not seem particularly interested in eating them over any other prey.

Paso Fino

The riding horse by which all others are judged, the Paso Fino is a breed known for its exceedingly smooth gait and high endurance. Chestnut, Roan, Paint, and Black colorations are all common, and the horse spans the breadth of temprament and spirit. Favored by noble and well-off Freelander alike, the breed is unsuited for hauling, and is best used as a simple rider or trail horse. Capable of carrying a single rider and all gear a significant distance, they can also be trained for light combat duty and are the breed most often chosen for horsebound Rangers and hunters simply because of their survivability and hardiness.

The best Paso Finos in Fastheld are said to come from Seamel breeders, though the Lomasas have a fair interest in this breed themselves. They stand as tall as 5 feet (1.5 m) at the shoulder, and weigh an average of 800-1200 pounds (360-545 kg).

Generally, the Paso Fino is a domesticated breed with a long and carefully tracked lineage, bred to be a riding horse. There are several wild herds, however - a handful of the beasts still roam in the wild spaces of Fastheld, especially along the base of the Aegis. The breed is exceedingly common within Fastheld.

In the wild, horses are herd beasts, more prone to flight than to fight aggressors. Domesticated Paso Finos are largely unquantifiable; it's best to say that each individual horse has its own personality, and the breed was bred for endurance, not for agreeable personality traits. Different strains of the breed are known, in fact, for different tempraments - House Seamel paso finos tend to be high-spirited, intelligent beasts, somewhat willfull but rewarding to the expert rider, while House Nillu's breeds are much more even tempered and docile, as befits a merchant's mount.

River Trotter

The River Trotter as a domesticated beast is known, however, for its charm, docility and intelligence, considered the premere mount of the unarmored nobility of Fastheld both for the physical magesty of their gait and the smoothness of the ride. What makes them unique is a body type that makes them look as though they stride, highstepping in a slow trot and with an unmistakeable grace in their gallop. Bred by all houses, the Nillu and Lomasa take especial pride in their Trotters, with the House of the Bear prizing appearance and the unique step, and the House of the Bull adoring their intelligence and grace.

Their variety of color and pattern of trotter coats is quite broad. White, black, dappled, piebald, roan - the selection is endless. The horses tend to be expensive and relatively rare, with the dominance of the Paso Fino as a riding animal and the utility of a Shire for pulling wagons and plows; affecianados say that the Trotter's ride, however, is unparalleled, even if the animals are wholly unsuited to combat. They stand 5 feet at the shoulder (1.5 m), and weigh an average of 800-1200 pounds (360-545 kg).

The River Trotter is a domesticated breed of wild horse, found throughout Fastheld, largely in the hands of the nobility. In the wild, they tend to congregate in the marshy edges of the plains and swamps, and in the low scrub forests along the Jadesnake and the Fastheld rivers. The wild herd bloodlines tend to be heavily mixed, but the River Trotter body type and gait tend to dominance through them.

In the wild, horses are herd beasts, more prone to flight than to fight aggressors. The River Trotter as a domesticated beast is known, however, for its charm, docility and intelligence, considered the premere mount of the unarmored nobility of Fastheld both for the physical majesty of their gait and the smoothness of the ride.

Shire

A Shire is a heavy horse, used for plowing, farm work, and bearing heavy loads. Generally gentle, but exceedingly strong, they are prized as carthorses and, despite their size, for those who are not the best of riders.

Standing on average at eighteen hands at the shoulder, Shires come in bays, black bays, and chestnuts primarially. Not fast, as horses go, they have been traditionally bred for loads over all else. Wild Shires are very uncommon, usually 'feral' herds that have slowly accumulated as those that breed the beasts have lost intractible or overcurious mounts. That said, the wild ones have become prized for their spirit - a cut above the long-domesticated breeds. House Seamel is famous for horse breeding in general, but like the Paso Fino, the Shire breeds that come out of Seamel lands are highly prized.

Shires are found everywhere man has a use for them, of course. In the wild, however, Shires prefer plains and low forest, where their lack of speed is countered by their ability to see predators coming. They stand 6 feet (1.8 m) at the shoulder, and weigh 1500-2000 pounds (680-910 kg).

Shires are generally placid, docile, and friendly beasts, inquisitive without being overly bright. They will fight only if cornered, preferring to run when faced with a real threat, but, given their size, they consider very little threatening. They are unsuitable for warhorses due to their relative lack of spirit, and are practically untrainable in the role. If a Shire is driven to fight, they fight only until escape presents itself, and then flee. That said, a kick or a stomp from these powerful beasts is more than capable of killing a man outright.

Shriekweasel

Inquisitive, territorial, and living in tightly-knit groups, the Shriekweasel is the largest animal of its sort in the known world. There are other weasels, martins, and minks about - but none grows so large, with such luxurious brown-and-golden fur, and with such a wide range. It is considered lucky, and a prime target for hunters looking for profit from furs.

House Nillu has actually domesticated the Shriekweasel, its nobles prizing the animal for its exceptional loyalty, companionship, and its ability as a guardian. Its distinctive shriek, from which it derives its name, can literally be heard for miles, sounding not unlike a woman's high-pitched scream of distress. Their fur colors tend toward the dark browns and blacks and in between, with all-white shriekweasels being very rare and highly prized. They are an average of 3-4 feet (1-1.2 m) in length and weigh an average of 11-22 pounds (5-10 kg).

Shriekweasels live in family groups often extending to four and five generations, in burrows and small cave systems dug into the land and roots of the largest, oldest forest trees. With catlike intelligence and grace, they are nonetheless not often found alone. Unusually, this beast prefers the winter months, being most active when the air is at its coldest, and choosing to spend most of the spring and summer hidden away in dens and only coming out to hunt. As the air chills, they move out of their burrows, ranging over a wide swath to hunt and mate, with their mating season coming in early autumn. They prefer insects, small lizards, rodents, and the occasional Longflank Hare as a meal.

Shriekweasels in the wild will generally avoid contact with predators (and men), using their burrow systems for protection and keeping to a somewhat limited range. They trust easily, however - a patient observer that waits a time will see them emerge and frolic and hunt once they grow used to his presence. They prefer to flee rather than fight, but will defend their burrows to the death if the burrows are compromised - often driving off badgers who consider them a delicacy.

Domesticated Shriekweasels live about nine years, and are incredibly close companions, tailing their chosen humans closely and actually wasting away if shut away from them for too long. They are vicious, though not exceedingly dangerous, guardians, taking well to training that involves guarding their owner's sleeping-place or possessions. Inquisitive, they are as curious as cats, fearless around other humans and often making off with shiny objects that catch their interest. These animals often grow lethargic and sleepy when the temperature is too warm, preferring cooler days and spaces to the high days of summer.

Silk Spider

Nobody really knows when the first silk spider was domesticated, or even how the strands it spins were discovered to be able to be woven into the strong yet light fabric of the same name. What is certain is that silk spider tending has been a profession since before the Aegis was raised. Originally the exclusive purview of the Zahir, the chaos in the wake of the betrayals early in that House's career made it possible for other Houses to obtain the spiders and the secrets of keeping them alive and spinning. Now, all noble houses have their own silk families, and the fabric - while still rare - is no longer exclusive to the House of Ravens.

Silk Spiders are not found in the wild, and escaped silk spiders usually do not last through the winter, as their silk has been bred for its weaving qualities, and their webs, while strong, are not terribly useful for catching prey. Regardless, Silk Farming is considered a very dangerous profession, tended to by families who have worked in the substance for generations. Entire lineages of silk spiders have been cataloged, and there is much prestige to be had in being able to tend the temperamental and fragile creatures. They subsist on a diet of insects.

No longer found in the wild, Silk Spiders are kept in enclosures that must be sheltered from the sun, yet not allowed to freeze. They live only a year, growing to maturity in just a few weeks after hatching, and weaving massive webs that fill their enclosures several times over the spring and summer. They have bulbous yellow bodies with small heads and eight wiry legs. They are approximately 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter (legs included) and weigh approximately 8-10 ounces (223-283 g). Eggs are laid in large clutches, attached to the walls by massive amounts of silken thread.

Interestingly, Silk Spider thread - while still somewhat sticky - is not really suitable for catching prey. Over the years, spider breeders have emphasized quantity and fineness over stickiness and the ability to trap food - making the silk easier to work and generally less useful to the spider itself.

Silk spiders are spiders, and while domesticated still require live prey. They defend their webs when the Farmers arrive to take them, but their venom is weak and their fangs are short. Generally, Silk Spiders are like any other spider, relatively unaffected by handling as long as it is done with caution to avoid activating their instinctive need to protect themselves. Farmers are usually in no real danger save during the harvesting of silk, and the spiders can even be transferred from enclosure to enclosure with relative ease.

Silk harvesting drives them, however, to defend themselves - a tricky thing, as killing the spiders means no more silk for the year, and possibly no young spiders for next year's work. Farmers wear heavy protective aprons, gloves, and helms made of a metal grate, pulling down the webs with large hooks made for that purpose. Silk Spider venom is not generally deadly to a healthy adult, but will make a man ill - children, smaller animals, and the elderly are at significant risk if bitten. Certain herbs do slow or even counteract the venom.

Steadfast

The steadfast is another domesticated animal that contains a variety of subspecies - approximately 45 within Fastheld. They serve primarily as companions to humans, but they serve several other roles as well. Steadfasts can be trained as property guards, bodyguards, hunters, trackers, herders, and companions. Their builds vary greatly from thin-boned and speedy to large-framed and exceptionally strong; most of the steadfasts are larger in build due to natural Fastheldian preference. The average length of a steadfast is 24-27 inches (60-70 cm) and weigh anywhere from 95 to 130 pounds (43-60 kg). Their coloring and coat patterns are extremely variable but tend to have certain traits for each subspecies.

The origin of the steadfast is unknown, as they have been relegated to a domesticated animal bred only by humans. They have different personalities and temperaments, and the most reknown breeders will have carefully tracked lineages and certifications to accompany each member of every new litter. Because of this, some of the pups have been sold for exorbitant prices to high-ranking nobles.

Steadfasts are not usually eaten or killed for sport, nor are they used in any textiles or other common household products.

Forest

Plains

Predators

Prey

River

Underground