Anion Mammoth

The Anion Mammoth carries two to six primary tusks. They are generally directed towards the ground, utilized to fend off predators. In close combat the lower tusks are employed as the primary weapons, while during a fight for territory with other mammoths, the upper tusks are used instead. A full grown Mammoth may be fifteen to twenty feet tall and weigh about five tons. The creature has large snouts while can breath in a sufficient amount of air to allow a mammoth to be submerged and not need to breathe for over two hours. They can have white, brown, or grey furs, and the fur services to insulate the creature. Mammoths possess large feet, which allow the pachyderm to navigate across treacherous terrain.

Distribution

These animals inhabit both the taiga regions and the frozen plains, though they are a rare sight. When they are found, it is primarily within a herd. The icy-dwelling Mammoths swiftly shed their fur during the warmer seasons. This transition allows the animal to adopt to warm weather much easier then other northern animals.

Habitat

In open clearings, Anion Mammoths often bend down to sleep. The herd collectively settles down when the children grow tired. This methodology keeps families together and eases the difficulty of foraging. Such areas offer fewer tactful approaches; predators are hesitant to assault the herd. Whilst awake, the mammoth herd continues to act together. In numbers, there is safety.

Diet

The Anion Mammoth are primarily herbivores. It consumes tree leaves, shrubbery, small flowers, and mosses. This sustenance allow the animal to function in its day to day activities. In the desolate tundra of the north, these edibles are the most abundant foodstuff, allowing easy access to their abundant diets. The long trunk is wielded both to uproot shrubbery and to lower the foliage from the naturally tall treeline. From steams and rivers, the meaty creature draws bulk of its water. Again, the trunk is employed like a straw to drink from the cold rivers, though if the water is frozen they often have the younger Mammoths bash it with their tusks to open the water to them, and allow them to drink.

Relations

Upon arrival, outsiders are often attacked immediately, as the pachyderms initiate a stampede. In captivity, the Mammoths can be raised and domesticated. If these large herbivores are domesticated, then they will follow a herdsman as a loyal dog, while the animal behaves like traditional cattle. If they are ill, then they are often known to wander off and attack the handler, or to find better conditions. The litter of a Anion Mammoth numbers between one and two calves, though the latter case is rare. In lieu of predation, these arctic behemoths have a life span of fifty to sixty five years. Unlike some other mammals, the Anion Mammoth is able to reproduce for its entire life after maturity. The Mammoth is resilient and has a defensive mindset. It takes a calf roughly thirty years to mature to adult proportions. A well placed arrow or carefully guided spear can fell such a beast, though without prior knowledge, it is nearly impossible to find where to get the killing blow. Due to the animal's stature and meat bearing capacity, the snow elf tribes revered and venerate these creatures.

Mechanics

• This creature can be domesticated.
• The animal directs aggression towards outsiders.
• The beast produces the following goods: Milk, flesh, furs, and ivory. The milk can be refined into cheese.

Material Properties

• The meat can be eaten and is often more nutritious than other meats, giving temporary warmth that allows the deepest regions of the north to be endured.
• They can be milked, although their milk is rank and often has a sour, dated taste able to be turned into deliciously aged cheese.
• Their fur is also one of the warmest materials in the Aversian Provinces and is be highly sought by those who like cold travels, as it provides near immunity to the cold.

Alchemical Properties

• The tusks may be ground up and mixed with soil to act as an extreme fertilizer, being beneficial to both plantlife and Sinnehliv, and cuts the time needed to mature fully by 25% once per plant.
• The milk too is said to have properties which can imbue strength and height if an alchemist tinkers with its ingredients and brew.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier