Infernos Custos

Unlike it's cousins found in many other places within the realm, the Infernos Custos, also known as the "Burning Sheep" has adapted to live in a heated environment such as the desert, or lands closely surrounding. Due to the harshness of the land in which these animals have learned to live, many adaptations have come from them, leading to some very odd traits found no where else in the realm. These rams are known to grow up to over (140) kg 300 pounds in weight. Reaching up to 22 inches in length, the males being larger than the females, and adorning a pair of great horns which can curl around to up to 30 in.

Unlike common sheep, the Infernos has adapted to grow thick hair like wool instead of the normal thermal wool one is used too. This fiber is very special due to it's rare properties of heat absorption. During the long hours of the heated day, the wool of the Infernos will absorb the heat from the sun into the mesh of fiber along the animal's body, allowing the animal to remain cool during the very hot hours of sunlight. During the night hours when the sun has gone and the land becomes cool, the opposite occurs in which the wool releases it's stored heat in a warming effect to keep the animal heated during the long hours of the night.

Due to the nature of these animals they are often found in large groups, traveling as a heard of no more than a few hundred. Since their habitat is filled with little nutrients, these sheep have learned to consume things such as cacti, decaying plant matter, and even go so far as to use their large hooves to dig into the sand for roots, or gourds. The natural colors of these animals come in browns, and light grey's, however a variety of them can often be seen in the larger groups, the Alpha males holding the largest horns, which help them symbolize their status and achieve them mates during the seasons.

Distribution

Due to these animal's special adaptations, they are only found within the most severe environments of the world such as the desert, or mesas. As such, they are considered rare.

Habitat

They are often found on the move being nomadic in nature, most often seen near places of water or food when not during breeding season, to which lies in the coolest parts of the year. Area's such as an oasis, or near the coast is where such events occur, returning to nomadic behavior soon after.

Diet

With the little nutrients they have to go off of, they will sustain themselves with roots, cacti, other decaying plant matter, or even dig underground to find sources of rich vegetation that is not seen above the surface.

Relations

These animals are most often passive creatures, the Alpha males being the most aggressive among them, especially during that of mating season, to where they will charge at almost anything they see as hostile.

Mechanics

• Their stomach's are build to digest almost any form of plant matter found within their environment, thus is a thick wall, which can be used for bags or other uses upon extraction.
• It's wool works like a thermal regulate, allowing it to absorb heat during the hot hours of the day, then to release this heat during the cool hours of the night, allowing homeostasis for most regular occurrence of weather or season. This is a slow process done through metabolizing and will not continue upon the animal's death, however the pelt will still hold heat retention, allowing it to be usable in the desert for sun protection in clothing or other objects.
• They are mutual with other domesticated animals.
• The horns of the male rams if hollowed out can be used as horns, or jugs, capable of holding liquid without leaking for long periods of time.

Material Properties

• The horns of the Custos can be used to make excellently sturdy war horns, flasks, and has an extreme resilience to corrosive and toxic materials, capable of holding them much like a modern phial or flask.
• The wool of this animal can be taken to be used as good desert clothing, keeping the user out of the sun during the day and somewhat protected during the night.

Alchemical Properties

• The Milk of an Infernos custos is a spicy and powerful curative that is capable of, in its raw form, delaying the effects of a poison and stopping it temporarily for 2 septs. The poison, once the saturation of the milk goes away-returns to its job as if it was never paused. In a more concentrated alchemical formula, the effect of a solution infused with this extremely spicy drink can all but cleanse a body of poison or venom's, albeit through rather painful series of trips to the chamberpot.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier