THE
CUNCU
SHEEP |
One of the largest species of sheep, Cuncu look built rather than grown. Their sturdy appearance is belied, though, by a docile nature that makes them a favourite of the nomadic herders who keep them for their thick, versatile wool. This wool offers ample protection against the harsh weather of the frozen north, and may even house a cheewick bird, which builds a nest amid the sheep’s fleece and keeps it free of parasites.
Appearance.
Among the largest of
sheep breeds,
the Cuncu is imposing in its bulk. Growing as high as a man’s waist, they are
stocky, almost square-looking animals, well insulated against the northern
weather. There is a noticeable difference in the builds of males and females –
males tend to be longer in body than they are in height, with a typical ram
measuring a ped and a fore
from nose to rump, but only a
ped tall. Females tend towards the opposite, being sometimes taller than
they are long. Usually, though they are about a
ped both in length and
height, giving them a curiously compact appearance.
The formidable appearance of Cuncu is increased in the case of males, which
sport large curling horns, thickly ridged and often growing into impressive
whorls which frame the
sheep’s face
somewhat like a warrior’s helmet; an apt impression to give, as their main
purpose is in fighting other males.
Cuncu have large, blunt-muzzled faces, usually light brown in colour, though
individual
sheep can
also sometimes be found with black, white, grey or spotted faces. The eyes are a
little small, in proportion to the face, and are generally coloured a warm
amber-brown. The nostrils are long and sensitive; the ears small and rounded,
with a thick fringe of hair to keep them warm. The head is held at the same
height as the back, so that the profile of the animal makes a flat line, adding
to its stalwart, stoic appearance – they seem always to have their shoulders
squared and their heads tucked down, braced to calmly withstand some imminent
attack.
The wool of the Cuncu is long-locked, though tightly curled, so as to knit
together into a thick fleece, impenetrable to the elements, and forming a
significant portion of the animal’s bulk. The wool can vary in colour from jet
black to dull grey to rusty brown, and has a soft, though fairly greasy texture
when growing on the sheep. When fully grown, you should be able to sink your
fingers entirely into the wool before touching the warm, soft skin of the sheep.
Cuncu have short, but very strong legs, with wide, tough hooves, covered over by
a fringe of long hair. There is no tail to speak of, making the sheep very
compact, with both the head and feet capable of being tucked into the body, to
be protected from even the most unrelenting weather.
Special Abilities.
Cuncu are renowned and valued for their hardiness, being very well adapted to
the harsh climate of Northern Sarvonia.
On the exposed plains that make up their native environment, their thick fleeces
and compact build provide insulation against the most biting
winds. Their short legs can be tucked under
their bodies, and their heads ducked down almost like a
gopag, so that no part of their body is exposed
to the elements.
As well as protecting the sheep from the weather, and providing a valuable
commodity to the shepherd, a Cuncu’s fleece can also offer refuge to a
remarkable bird known as a cheewick. These small plains-birds have a symbiotic
relationship with the Cuncu. They aid the sheep by hunting parasites that infest
their wool – a real problem for such a thick-fleeced animal – and also build
their nests in the fleece of the sheep, which offfers
them a safe, sheltered place to raise chicks, with an abundant food supply in
the form of ticks and lice plucked from the fleece.
Territory.
A longhaired sheep, the Cuncu thrives in the cold snowy
extremes of Northern Sarvonia and
can be found in abundant numbers north of the
Prominent Mountains. They
populate many of the open meadows and plains in this northern land, and are
herded in large numbers by the Ice
Tribesmen, as well as by other peoples in smaller numbers, further south,
where they are farmed for their fleece. Many of the Cuncu dwelling in the
Caaehl’heroth peninsula have been domesticated by the
Kaaer’dár’shín half-orcen people,
who learnt to herd them from the Antislar people, who have long kept Cuncu for
their wool.
Habitat/Behaviour.
Despite their formidable appearance, the Cuncu is a relatively docile animal and
is herded quite easily, as they tend to stay in their flocks, requiring only
gentle coaxing from a shepherd to move on. The Cuncu travel in large
family-oriented flocks of between 20 and 30 sheep,
which, in the wild, tend to be led by the oldest ram or ewe, though domesticated
sheep have learnt to follow the shepherd instead.
Wild flocks are nomadic, travelling across the plains and open country of
Northern Sarvonia in search of
fresh grazing. In the summer months they often follow larger herd animals, such
as paxen or wison, to help increase their
defences against predators. If a flock is threatened by predators, they tend to
bunch together, with rams pushed to the outside where they display their horns
and often charge the attacker.
They are amiable creatures and often gentle with
humans, with one exception: rams are noted to be fierce and hot-tempered in
the mating season. For this reason, contact between men and rams at this time is
not suggested. Females with young lambs may also be aggressive if they feel
their lambs are the focus of too much attention, and all Cuncu are likely to
react badly to dogs, cats
or other possible predators that get too close during the breeding season. Cuncu
are especially wary of dogs, as they are a favourite prey
of snow wolves. This inbuilt fear of anything
dog-shaped means they cannot be herded by trained
dogs such as cattrel, but
fortunately their generally docile nature means a
human can manage unaided.
Diet.
The Cuncu eats many low-lying grasses, mosses, roots, and other plants within
their range. Among the most prominent are the
alth’ho and lythe-grass. In the
winter, they eat almost any plant they can find, including the bark of some
trees and low shrubbery. In the far north of their territories, they also rely
on hrugchuck grass, like most
animals of the area, using their hooves to dig through thick snow, and their
blunt muzzles and square teeth to crop even the shortest vegetation. During the
winter they can also survive on the withered remains of
lythien moss, which still retain some
nutrition. Water can become a problem during
the winter, however, as they can’t gain as much moisture from their food as
during the summer. Though they can eat snow, this is a last resort as it lowers
their body temperature, so during the winter Cuncu must travel farther than
usual to find liquid water, or food sources
such as hrugchuck or sap-rich
tree barks, which can provide moisture.
Domesticated Cuncu don’t usually have to go to such lengths, though, as their
shepherd will often light a fire to melt snow
and provide them with drinking water.
Mating.
The Cuncu has a six-month gestation period. Rams initiate contact usually in the
eight or ninth month of the year, the months of the
Sleeping Dreameress and of the
Fallen Leaf. They will often
contest with other males at this time, using their horns as butting devices.
These contests look fierce, but don’t usually result in casualties, as rams will
carefully try to gauge the size and strength of an opponent before challenging
it. After the lesser males are defeated, the now dominant ram will mate with
receptive ewes in his herd. The female then carries her young until the third or
fourth month of the year; the months of the
Awakening Earth and of the
Changing Winds. The Cuncu is not
normally known to bear twin lambs, but exceptions have been noted. If this
occurs, the weaker lamb will most likely not survive, as the Cuncu does not
produce enough milk for two simultaneous offsprings. In such cases, one lamb is
usually taken off the mother and hand reared by the shepherd. These lambs, which
tend to grow into very tame adults, are often termed “heel sheep“, for the way
they follow their owners around.
Usages.
The fleece of the Cuncu is shorn in late spring, during the fifth month of the
year; the month of the Singing Bird after the birthing
cycle is over, relieving the animal of its second heavy burden for the warmer
months. It is, mostly, a “carpet type” with a varying degree of both length and
width. The long, lustrous fleece, hanging in separate locks, also makes the
Cuncu fleece especially attractive to those who practice the older art of hand
spinning. The fleece is easily spun after washing and carding, and a quality
hand spun fleece may often sell for three to ten times what a commercial buyer
would pay for it. While it does not readily take dye, the natural black, grey,
silver and brown colours of the natural coloured Cuncu are among the most
sought-after fleeces at shows and sales.
The Antislar people, however, have developed highly successful methods of
treating Cuncu wool so that it takes the bright colours they favour in their
fabrics. though the exact method is a closely guarded secret, it’s widely known
that the fleeces are treated by a lengthy boiling in a solution which seems to
bleach all the colour from the wool, as well as from most other things it comes
into contact with. By this method, Antislar people are able to create the
brightly coloured Cuncu wool garments so characteristic of the tribe. It is
believed that the Kaaer’dár’shín
half-orcs took with them the knowledge of herding Cuncu and processing their
wool when they formed their own tribe, and though they tend not to use bright
colours so much, Cuncu wool is still an important commodity to them, as is the
milk and meat of the sheep.
Cuncu are not otherwise widely used for milk or meat, except by the
Ice Tribesmen, who will often
butcher old or weak individuals for meat, and occasionally milk the ewes. Young
sheep are often killed for their skins, which makes good
quality vellum for writing on.
Cuncu Sheep Statistics |
Measurements | Rams | Ewes |
Height | 1 ped | 1 ped 2 fore |
Length | 1 ped 1 fore | 1 ped |
Weight | 2 pygge 5 heb (2 ½ pygge) - 3 pygge | 1 pygge 5 heb (1 ½ pygge) - 2 pygge |
Fleece |
2-3 hafeb per shearing
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Myth/Lore.
Cuncu have been domesticated for a very long time, and have become of great
importance to those who rely on them for their livelihood. There are many
stories and songs which feature them, such as this traditional Northern song,
which has its versions and variants among many of the tribes who keep Cuncu.
THE CUNCU SHEEP
ARE GONE Traditional
Remusian herder’s song, recoded and translated |
Cuncu are
often regarded as a symbol of hardiness and utility, at least among those who
herd them. Shepherds of the Ice tribes
often wear a scrap of raw Cuncu wool on their clothing as a mark of their
profession.
The Cheewicks that nest in their wool are also given significance, with a
popular folk belief that the birds bring the sheep news
of the weather, so that they know to hunker down when a storm is coming. Herders
pay close attention to the behaviour of their sheep, and
are usually quick to find shelter if they notice the sheep lying down and
tucking their heads down. Indeed, they do seem able to tell as much as half an
hour before bad weather hits that it is coming, though this is not likely due to
any action of the cheewick’s part.
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