Aurochs

Sher'Zelli, Aurochs of the Desert

The Sher'Zelli are tall, bull-like creatures ranging from 2-3 meters long for both genders. They are known for a powerful structure even with their feeble wrists and ankles. The legs are surprisingly slim, yet the muscles that compose them are very strong. Due to this, the bull is able to run up to 30 miles per hour. The most noticeable portion of their body is the head, which is long and bulky, with two large tusks protruding from the lower lips to form twin arcs. In comparison, the Sher'Zelli's eyes are so small that they are barely visible, covered in a translucent shell to protect them from the sands. They are able to close this shell at will, as if it were an eye lid. Unfortunately, this lid is known to breakdown when the beast reaches old age, causing infection, and is the leading cause of death for older animals.

The entire body is protected by a thick layer of flexible chitin, which replaces fur and grants the Sher'Zelli a cooled body temperature and very good defense against predators. The male chitin's hue ranges from a spectrum of browns to silvers, and form random, elaborate patterns that are prized by hunters. On the contrary, female chitin are beige, orange, and black, with very uniform patterns. When the animals reach old age, they will often "grey out" over their entire bodies, and one can gauge just how old an animal is by how much grey is in their fur and chitin.

There are few weaknesses of the chitin, such as the lower jaw, to avoid obstructing the eating process; the neck, to avoid obstructing head movement; and the tail, to keep its sharp flexibility. To replace chitin in these areas, long, thick fur grows to protect them from threats while they eat or drink. Due to the heat of the fur, they tend to dip it into the water while drinking. The tail is long and lizard-like, and covered in a thick, grey-toned fur.

These animals travel in groups called herds, and usually have around 5-10 members, all of which have certain roles in the herd. The herd is normally composed of a Leader, who leads the herd; the Females, which are unrelated females that have been rounded up by the leader; Elders, which are older animals that have reached the final years of their lives (usually female) and are well cared for by the rest of the herd; and finally Scavengers, which are both unrelated and related males that are tolerated by the lead male of the herd. Their job is to search out ahead of the herd to find water and food sources, and some males may attempt to challenge the lead male for his position, and if they happen to win, they will become the leader of the herd.

Distribution: The Sher'Zelli are generally found in herds of five to ten, lingering in areas of the desert with reliable water sources. They can also be found in or near the boundaries of bordering savannahs on few occasions and are considered Common.

Habitat

Generally, Sher'Zelli live in herds near desert trees and water sources. Scavengers are the only ones to leave the habitat and return with food. Females and cubs have the coolest spot under the tree to preserve their health, followed by the Elder and Leader, then finally, the Scavengers themselves.

Diet

Sher'Zelli are herbivores, seeking out the plants of the desert and savannah. Of all available food, they prefer the Desert Angel Cactus, whose fluid does not affect them. On occasion, pregnant females will eat small animals to get as much nutrients as they can to their young.

Relations

Sher'Zelli are extremely fearful towards any predator, and thus, if a mortal is seen, the herd will quickly dart off. If pressed, however, the leader will charge whatever is the threat, while the younger males will circle around the young, females, and the elders to protect them. They have, however, been known to be tamed by tribal Desert Elves, though these domestic herds are often very different, and less structured than the ones found in the wild.

Mechanics

• Covered in flexible, resistant chitin that cools their body.
• Small translucent shell to protect their eyes from sand, closeable like eyelids.
• Can be tamed as cattle, but lose the societal aspect of packs.

Material Properties

• The fur of the Elders, as it is strong yet flexible and can sustain extreme tension, can be braided to form very good quality ropes that can hold numerous fully-plated men.
• The Chiten has materialistic values.

Alchemical Properties

• The chitin is filled with a cooling liquid, sparsely dispersed throughout it. If extracted and distilled, it can help one survive the hot temperatures of the desert.
• The third eye lids can be harvested to be distilled or brewed into a solution to obtain temporary protection from desert sandstorms.

Culture

The Sher'Zelli are interconnected with Ran'Zelli and Ba'Zelli, as they come from the same legend. The tale says that the three were once part of the same race, a great bull that ran through the earth, unstoppable. But the great bull grew more and more tired and so did his children. When the old bull died, his children separated and spread apart the continents changing over time and becoming smaller as they did so. Still, the tale of the great bull's strength remained and the the three aurochs are seen as animals of Sterk, gaining the respect of many Orc societies. The Vilo used this animal as cattle, and respected it greatly. As in the Sher'Zelli packs, they all had their job to do.

Ran'Zelli, Aurochs of the North

Ran'Zellis are rather large bull-like creatures, covered by a thick fur that allows them to survive the cold of the far north. These Aurochs are known to be extremely muscular, more so than any bull or relative to the Ran'Zellis, like the Ba'Zellis or Sher'Zellis. Their upper thighs are thick and so are their torso and necks, however their lower legs and heads are lacking in size and general consistency. Such musculature allows them to charge at speed sometimes exceeding the 60km/h for the strongest of the species, as well as full control of their charge and course, able to take swift and sharp turns as well as jump a meter or so in the air.

Their fur, covering most of their body except their stomach, is of a thick composure as well as an auburn or maroon tint, a few stripes and patterns of a deep and dark brown running through these various hues. On their neck, the fur becomes lightly longer as well as thicker and so happens on the lower parts of their legs too. Extending from these lower parts, their hooves separates in three parts, ending sharp to a point where it easily tears the flesh of other animals, as well as most leather. Said claws are articulated and thus can move to tear flesh and bone alike even better, as well as climb the rocky mountain sides a little easier. Ran'Zellis have poor perception, as their eyes are of a quite miniscule size, although to compensate for their lack of perception they have a very acute sense of smell, able to track down food. Their eyes have amber, copper or sometimes even marron irises.

Their jaw, of a quite massive proportion and unnatural strength to allow them to bite vividly through resistance and preys, also harboring thick and resistant teeth that can rip through flesh like butter. They generally charge at their prey and stomp them or claw them, finishing with a swift bite to the neck. Over all, it is not rare that Ran'Zellis grow larger than about 3 meters in height, as well as nearly 5 meters long. The Aurochs can weigh from 661-1200lbs.

Distribution:Ran'Zellis are more than likely found among chains of the treacherous Northern Mountains, and rarely seen anywhere else along the snow covered plains except for a few sightings in pine forested areas. However, in packs or alone, these are rare to find.

Habitat

Ran'Zellis and their pack often find a cave or crevasse along the sides of mountains to protect themselves from the harsh winds and the Northern cold, as well as warm each other. The pack will stay in their caves as long as they live, for that is their home.

Diet

Due to the harsh conditions in the North, Ran'Zellis have found themselves deprived of most resources such as plants and other nutrition to feed off of. However, contrary to other species who would simply die, the Ran'Zellis severely adapted to their climate and became omnivorous; they will hunt and kill most smaller animals, such as horses and deer, and sometimes predatory animals like wolves, but this is rare. They will also eat the tundra grasses that grow along the pine forest, and the pine needles that grow on the tress there. The bulk of their diet, however, is meat.

Relations

Ran'Zellis are generally friendly towards those of their pack, as well as other Ran'Zellis in general, and rarely does conflict happen between packs, as it isn't uncommon for territory to overlap. However, the Aurochs are rather wary of other animals, including animals they may consider prey, and especially predators, including people. A few animals have been captured and tamed by snow elf tribes, but their size and diet make them inconvenient to domesticate.

Mechanics

• Sharp and articulated hooves, sharp enough to lacerate as well as powerful jaw harboring sharp teeth.
• No horns, due to no need for them.

Material Properties

• The fur is incredibly thick and insulating, and are known to be used extremely often by northerners to protect from the cold.

Alchemical Properties

• Their adrenal glands, if infused into a solution, can be used to temporarily remove the bodies normal inhibitions, but has the dangerous side effect of internal damages if one pushes themselves too hard.

Ba'Zelli's, Aurochs of the Plains

Physically, the Ba'Zelli's mutations are minimal, though there is enough of a difference to label them as a different kind of animal. The Ba'Zelli is a large animal, standing at around 155-180 cm (61-71 in) at their shoulder, and weighing in at around 700-771 kg (1,500-1,700 lbs). Their horns are massive, measuring almost 127 cm (50 in) in length, though they are surprisingly light despite their size.

The biggest change that happened from their mutations are their behavior; after the shift in their landscape, the aurochs became largely solitary animals, though it's not uncommon to see a couple of females wandering together with young. Males wander the landscape on their own, only gathering females when the rut begins, and they will fight other males for the right to the females they've gathered together. After, they go their separate ways and spread out across the continent.

This species is able to use some very simple magic spells. This is where the Ba'Zelli gets its name; they are able to cast a spell which strengths their skin to that of a tough leather-like armor, making it all the more harder to pierce. This is to protect them from the increasingly dangerous predators that now roam the landscape. Their horns are what act as their casting instrument.

Ba'Zelli's have also become highly aggressive animals. Even with each other, they will fight if they come across one another, especially males and other males. They are not welcoming to competition from other animals either, often driving herds of antelope out of their grazing spots to have all the food to themselves.

In terms of appearance, little has changed. They still sport grey and black coats, though spotting is not uncommon on lighter-coated animals, which helps to break up their form, even out in the open. This spotting is more efficient in the trees, however, which is where the animals will flee to if threatened by predators. They also still move on six legs, rather than the usual four seen in most land animals. Their hooves are cloven, which allows them to move in rocky terrain much easier, though they prefer more open, flat, and grassy areas. They are also quite fast despite their size, able to run up to nearly 96 km/h (60 m/h) in bursts, and around 72 km/h (45 m/h) for longer distances.

Distribution

Ba'Zelli's commonly roam around open plains. They are not particularly numerous, however, due to a slow breeding cycle and simply because their way of life is perilous for young animals. As a result, they're considered to be common.

Habitat

Solitary animals, or the small groups they can be seen in, largely stick to open plains during the day, and then retreat to the edges of the forests at night to avoid being seen by predatory animals. They are largely nomadic, however, so it is rare that they will rest in the same place every night. Their young can walk moments after birth, so even during the spring they will continue to move about in search of food.

Diet

They are entirely herbivorous, and only eat plants. Their diet does vary on what plants they will eat, depending on where they live. They will eat grass, leaves, berries, and fruits. They need a lot of food, however, and don't do well in areas with sparse grasses such as the mountains.

Relations

They are highly aggressive animals, especially the males, so it is not uncommon for them to charge if they feel threatened, or feel as if their territory is being invaded. They will flee if they think the threat is too much for them to handle, however. Young animals are very curious and docile animals, and can be captured and kept in captivity.

Mechanics

• Able to cast a spell which hardens their skin to that of a tough leather-like armor.
• Highly aggressive as adults.
• Young can be domesticated.
• Have six legs rather than four, making them very fast.

Material Properties

• Their horns can also be attuned by mages to be used as an above average catalyst, though they are usually carved down a bit; a single horn equal to a staff.
• The armored chitin of the Ba'Zelli is a rubbery material, and is equal, if not superior to half-plate when made into extremely lightweight armor.

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