THE
PACKOX
("OXEN
PACK
MOUNT") |
The Packox
(plural "Paxen") is a heavy, bulky, large and slow member of the bovine family
that makes its home in the icy north of the
Sarvonian mainland. Domesticated and used primarily as beasts of burden by
the Antislar tribe and progressive elements of the
Remusian tribe from
Northern Sarvonia, the Paxen are
easily identified by their thick coat, curved white horn and ritualistic dances
during their mating season.
Appearance.
Male Paxen reach just over one and a half
peds in height to their
shoulder while their female counterparts average just under this height. Packox
bulls have been known to reach ten
pygges in weight, with
cows weighing slightly less. The Paxen are therefore
smaller than the wison and considerably smaller than the
thunderfoots.
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The white
horns of the Packox are curved back against its face and extend into sharp
points ahead of its small eyes and large snout. Looking side on to the beast,
each horn makes a stylised 'C', with the bottom part of the horn extending out
further than the top of it. Both cows and bulls have
horns, and in each sex they grow to approximately one ped in length, although as
they are curved, they appear shorter than this. The bony extrusion that extends
between the horns help to protect this beast when they 'butt heads' with a
predator.
Like the wison, these bovines are covered by a
thick coat of shaggy fur that protects them from the frigid temperatures of the
Northern Sarvonian winters. Unlike
the wison, whose coats are various shades of
blue, the coats of the Paxon are mostly shades of brown, grey and tan in colour.
Another difference between this beast and the wison is that the Packox has a
shorter coat beneath the thick coat of fur. This second coat grows during the
winter months to allow these bovids to survive during the colder months of the
year. During late spring, these creatures shed this second coat in order to
survive during the warmer months. During early autumn, this coat grows back.
Both male and female Paxen have a store of fat around their bodies. This fat
adds to their bulk and allows them to survive during winter when it is difficult
for them to find the plant matter that they eat.
The legs of Paxen are short, thick and solid, and are covered by the same hair
as the rest of their bodies. These legs, together with their storage of fat,
means that these bovines move slowly while walking, whether it is to carry goods
from one place to another or to move with the remainder of their herd in search
of food. Their feet are wider than most other bovines' and allows them to move
through the snow without sinking too far into it. Their hooves have sharp points
that allow them to kick through the ice during the winter months to get at the
grass, lichens and mosses that they eat. Like most cattle, their hooves are
split. They have a short stubby tail that is mostly covered by their shaggy
coats.
Paxen have a pair of small black eyes. They have ears that are small and covered
by fur. They have a wide snout-like nose and mouth which are used to find and
eat food.
Special Abilities.
The Paxen's fat layer and outer and inner coats combine to make them able to
survive in the harsh conditions of the far north of
Northern Sarvonia year round. The
inner coat has been shown to be resistant to water, lighter than wool, while at
the same time being warmer than wool. Paxen rely on their fat layer as a food
source during winter months and as added protection against the cold.
Unusually for cattle, the Paxen are known to perform a ritualistic mating dance.
This dance is a wonder to behold, not because of any inherent beauty to it, but
rather because it makes the beasts look ungainly. This dance has been known to
enthrall small children of the
Remusians who have seen the dance underway, while people who are not used to
it have been known to be startled by the noise and smell that accompanies the
dance at first. This extraordinary spectacle will be described in greater detail
in the mating section.
Territory.
The Paxen, like their larger wison brethren, make their homes in the northern
part of Northern Sarvonia. While
the wison migrate between the Iceland Coast and
the mountains north of the Wastes of Despair, these herd animals make their
homes in the region bounded by the Gulf of Oh'cant'aelwyn to the west, the
Mantle Wood and Mount Ashvin to the north, the Gathorn Mountains to the east and
the northern part of the Heath of Wilderon to the south. During the winter
months, the Paxen are more likely to be found in the southern end of their
natural territory, while the warmer months of summer see them congregating
closer to the northern boundaries of their territories. Wild herds of Paxen go
no further south than the Gathorn Mountains and the northern reaches of the
Heath of Wilderon. While they do engage in a small amount of migratory
behaviour, the range of their migration is only approximately seven leagues
between their summer and winter feeding locations. While this is the main area
for the Packox, some have been able to survive further south, including to the
lands of the Kuglimz and
Kanapans on the two trading routes.
Fur hunters amongst the Anislar have also been known to take domesticated Paxen
into the far north of the Peninsula of Iol with them when they go fur hunting.
Habitat/Behaviour.
These are social animals that live in herds that fluctuate between ten and
thirty cattle, depending on the time of year. Each herd
has a dominant female and male who lead the remainder of the herd on their hunt
for the plant matter that makes up their diet. According to Sordoc 'the Great',
an Erpheronian poet who has
invested considerable time investigating the social practices of these bovines,
the Paxon communicate with each other through a variety of bellows, snorts and
head movements. If Sordoc is to believed, this communication: 'warns of danger,
heralds winter's arrival, announces mating season, and proclaims the birthing of
calves.' (from 'Romancing the Beasts' by Sordoc 'the Great')
Paxen have a particular defensive formation that they use when threatened by
predators. The bulls and cows of the herd stand in a
circle facing outward, with the calves in the middle of the circle. The dominant
male or female starts to bellow as the others paw at the ground beneath their
feet. One of the bulls or cows will charge the predator,
head lowered, and horns extended, while the others tighten the circle around
their young. This has been a mostly successful defensive strategy when facing
predators such as wargs, wolves and even the caracel or
icesnout. Against sentient predators that use bows,
crossbows,
orcish warbows and other missile,
thrown and melee weapons while hunting,
this is a less effective strategy. Their instinct to group together makes it
easier for these bovines to be killed by hunters whether these hunters are
Remusian,
Rhom-oc or or occasionally Antislar.
Diet.
During the warmer summer months, as well as autumn and spring, Paxen are known
to eat as much and as often as possible. This is to build up a storage of fat
during the colder winter months that can help protect them from the cold, and
serves as a food supply. Their diet is dictated by their environment as well as
by their tastes. As they live in North
Sarvonia, a considerable part of their diet consists of
juk'lan and waterberry bushes. The
Paxen also have been known to eat other flora such as
lythien moss,
rockmoss,
soucald moss and the
yrom shrub. In his writing, Sordoc claims
that they also eat and enjoy tuberfruit and the leaves and lower branches of
wolf willow trees. Wild Packox herds are
considered a nuisance to farmers growing phummel grain in western Remusia and
are chased away by these farmers. There seem to be two plants that the Paxen
seem to avoid. The first of these plants is
hrugchuk grass. This lends weight
to the belief that the Paxen are not native to the Peninsula of Iol. Unlike the
wison, which have the hrugchuk grass as the favourite part of their diet, the
Paxen give it a wide berth. The second type of flora avoided by the Paxen is the
alth'mon or "varro", as the
Remusians call it. This is probably
due to the tingling, burning and numb sensation given off by this plant.
Paxen that are used by merchants and other progressive elements of the
Remusian tribe are also fed hay
made out of phummel grain grown by the
Remusians and bredden grain imported from the
Kanapans.
Remusian merchants on the journey
to the Kanapans advise that these
cattle also eat Peat grass when they reach the
Kanapan Peninsula.
Remusian merchants who travel to
the lands of the Kuglimz advise that
their Paxen munch happily on the alth'ho
grass found there. Fur hunters of the Antislar take feed along for the Paxen
that they take with them. Antislars and
Remusians who keep domesticated Paxen have feed made of phummel grain.
Mating.
Mating for the Paxen takes place during
Sleeping Dreameress, the month
associated with Jeyriall, Goddess of
Fruitfulness. The gestation period for cows takes eight months, with calves
being born during Changing Winds,
sacred to Grothar, God of the Weather.
Almost all pregnancies result in one calf.
During mating season, these beasts perform a ritualistic mating dance that has
been named 'Tauromancy' by the previously mentioned Sordoc 'the Great'. In his
self promoted work, 'Romancing the Beasts', he has noted the following about
this animal's mating practices:
"The bulls and cows engage in a ritualistic dance during their mating season. Commencing with the dominant bull, the male Paxen start the dance with fast and slow steps to the left and right followed by a raising and lowering of their heads. As they do this, they emit a strong odour which seems to enchant the cows, but which leaves civilised men gasping for breath at the stench. Once again, starting with the dominant cow, the female members of the herd follow the steps and head movements of the bulls. Fortunately, they do not emit this same odour. Not long after the dance has ended, the bulls move amongst the cows and both sexes start doing what comes naturally. As a civilised man, I will not write down the exact practices in case any children should read my book." |
Cows give
birth to live young that are able to stand within hours of being born. The
calves are able to graze within a week of birth, but most continue to drink
their mother's milk for up to a year after birth.
Usages.
The Antislar tribe are acknowledged as being the first people to domesticate the
Paxen, at sometime in the distant past. They have been observed by their
Remusian neighbours for centuries
using these beasts on their treks north to hunt for fur. While the
Remusians have traditionally
preferred the wison, some progressive elements
within this most advanced member of the
Ice Tribes have recently begun to
see the benefit of using the Paxen for some of their work.
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Picture description. The packox also provides perfect ingredients for a hearty stew. Image drawn by Bard Judith. |
The main use made of the Paxen is as a beast of burden by the Antislar tribe and
the Remusian men of
Northern Sarvonia. Its ability to
cart heavy loads for long distances, resistance against the cold, food storage
through its fat and calm nature have made it the preferred beast of burden of
the Antislar tribe. Progressive elements amongst the
Remusians have observed this use
and have tamed some Paxen to carry foodstuffs, trade goods and other items,
particularly on the overland trade routes to the
Kanapans and the northern
Kuglimz. More traditional members of
the Remusian tribe continue to use
the wilder and less easily manageable wison for
this purpose. This is despite the benefits offered by the Paxen: greater
predictability; calmness and the ability to carry heavier loads for longer
distances before needing to rest.
Paxen have also been known to be used as riding mounts by some amongst the
Remusians and Antislar. However, as
the Paxen are slower than the wison or mologh,
the preference is to use either of these other two beasts. Attempts to use them
as beasts for war have proven ineffective as they show almost no aggressive
behaviours, apart from when being faced by predators.
The inner coat of this breed of cattle is incredibly warm, light and
water resistant. Paxen shed this coat as autumn
slowly gives way to summer and is collected by Antislar and
Remusian women to use as a
supplement to the cuncu wool. The outer coat is
incredibly warm and is much valued as sleeping pallets, blankets and articles of
clothing.
This animal provides a meat that has a rich flavour, although it is rather
fatty. Remusians have traditionally
enjoyed a wison stew. Members of the Antislar
tribe have exchanged the wison meat for Packox
meat. In recent times, more progressive elements of the
Remusian tribe have followed the
example of the Antislar tribe and replaced the wison
meat with the far more tender and tastier Packox meat. The result is the receipt
called 'Spicy Packox Stew', a hearty meal. This receipt was from some of these
progressive Remusian tribe members,
traders on their way to the Kuglim
Lands with whom this researcher was able to travel.
Spicy Packox Stew Receipt Feeds up to three Remusian men, or a family of one Reumusian man, his wife and at least four children Ingredients 1 od of Packox meat, cubed Procedure 1) Hunt down, slay, and
butcher your pet Packox ... you know the one, it served your family for
many years. |
Myth/Lore.
Sordoc 'The Great' has written a 709 stanza epic poem titled "Ode to the Oxen",
which he describes as a "monumental work of great importance honouring this most
majestic of beasts". Other views of this work are not as kind. Some of his
kinder critics describe it as "an affront to common decency and good taste",
while his harsher critics describe it as "something that should be peddled as a
soporific". As it is, the Ode is considered too onerous to be published in the
Compendium and has been blocked
from publication by the New-Santhalan
Association for the Literary Arts.
A brief excerpt (so that one does not succumb to sleep) will serve to give some
flavour of the 'Ode to Oxen' by the self-yclept 'Sordoc the Great', and possibly
open one's eyes to the previously-unsuspected majesty and deep inner life of the
Oxen Pack Mount. Taken randomly from about the centre of the epic, this is
Stanza 382...
Researchers. In recent years, Sordoc 'The Great', as he calls
himself, others call him Sordoc 'The Lame', has travelled throughout
Northern Sarvonia examining
various aspects of the larger beasts of the continent, including the
wison and the
thunderfoot. The Packox seems to be the animal he likes the most as it takes
pride of place in his assorted writings and lectures. Sordoc is enchanted by the
sound of his own voice, prose and poetic 'abilities', such as they are. He has
given lectures on the most minuscule details of these beasts, with most of his
listeners dozing off by the time he gets through the first five minutes of his
lectures.
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