THE
SKAURGERE
("PLAINBEAST") |
Skaurgere (plural "Skaurgere" as well, also called "Plainsbeasts") are large, broodish animals prowling the vast expanses of the Nybelmar plains. Gruff in nature and quick-tempered, they are dangerous to tame. But they are far brighter than their hairy lumbering exterior lets on and once "broken" can easily be ridden and can pull carts. The loud guttural growls and roars they produce carry well across the plains.
Appearance.
Skaurgere stand around a ped
and half at the shoulders. They regularly walk on all fours, but can rise to a
standing posture of nearly three
peds if threatened. Captive
specimens can weigh about five
pygges, but several claims have been made that wild Plainsbeasts can easily
measure up to 2.5 peds and
nearly 10 pygges - though
no wild specimen has been brought down near that size.
Black, beady eyes sit shallow on a wide, heavy-browed face. The muzzle is short
and a large black nose is on the end of it. The males are in possession of a
fur-ruff around the neck and it extends into both the chest and shoulders, while
females usually only possess a ridge of
fore-length hair along
their spine to the shoulders. Their arms/front legs are longer than their back
legs and they are deeply muscled. The paws of these creatures are massive - a
fully extended paw can cover the face of a man easily. Retractable claws hide
within their digits, if a Skaurgere spends much of its time on four legs, these
claws can be very dull. Their spine is short and rigid, leading into hips that
are relatively wide for quadripeds, giving them a short but brisk step. Their
tail is thick and stumpy, about two
fores in length.
They regularly range from a sandy blonde to a very dark brown, and only on the
legs and tail are there any stripes - most often of a darker hue than their base
colour. The manes of Skaurgere are often the same colour of these stripes.
Black-hued plainsbeasts (called "Ur-gour", a corrupted form of the
Styrásh word for
"demon") are considered evil by many tribal peoples (it
is believed the Taeanrhim started this myth) and killed on sight. Living white
Skaurgere are very rare in the wild, but many can be seen in captivity.
Special Abilities.
As stated, the Plainsbeasts are quite intelligent, at least as smart as a
horse, though more closely resembling an untrained dog.
Their large size and speed make them a threat on the plains.
Territory.
Skaurgere prowl the plains of the whole of
Nybelmar, more prominent in the western half than the eastern half.
Habitat/Behaviour.
Skaurgere roam the plains and savannas of
Nybelmar. Some have been sighted in hilly brushland and sparse forests, but
these reportings regularly indicate a much smaller beast - perhaps a relative of
this beast. More research must be made into these "smaller" woodland beasts.
Skaurgere are known to be vocal animals.They regularly make low, rumbling
noises, and growling is quite common, though not in the context of displeasure,
it tends to function more as an acknowledgement of presence. Skaurgere roars are
loud and carry for many leagues. Mother Skaurgere make short chirplike sounds to
keep babies (called Skaur) within short range.
These Plainbeasts are not normally territorial, not to other animals. The do not
mind keeping company around other animals or even minding the sentient races too
much, but once the nosing of the necks and grunting occurs (it is a sign that
the herd is preparing to hunt) it's best to leave the vicinity in a quick
fashion.
Skaurgere do seem to become very violent in hunting and feeding of their kills,
as well as with scavenging. They have no qualms about fighting for possession of
the kill, and many of these beasts have scars across their flanks, shoulders and
faces as a testament of getting to close to another's kill. This researcher has
noted, however that females do not possess as much scars as males. It was
observed that males will share the kill with females, but only one female -
therefore females to not get attacked as often. It is also noted that shortly
after feeding, the male and female mate - though rarely producing offspring. If
a female brings down an animal or finds a scavengable meal, she does not have
preference - the strongest male (by successfully fighting off the others) shares
the meal with her, and they mate thereafter.
Skaurgere also do not seem to have a problem with cannibalism. If a member of
the herd dies, all will attempt to consume him - this is a rare instance when no
fighting occurs. They will also attempt to kill a weakened or injured member of
the herd - though only if the weakened or injured is visibly so.
Plainsbeasts regularly move in herds of 6-10 adults and their Skaur. There is no
visible leader, they seem to follow other herds of animals as they migrate the
plains.
However, Skaurgere do not migrate all year long. When the temperatures get cool
and winter comes, these beasts hibernate. The herd disperses (the first year
Skaur stay with the mother) and they find places to bed down, usually by digging
a hole in the side of a hill, or in the roots of an upturned tree. Some do move
into the forests and find caves - this researcher assumes that the "smaller"
plainsbeasts reported are simply food-deprived beasts waking from their winter
naps.
They sleep until early spring and form new herds, taking to the plains once
again.
Diet.
Skaurgere are omnivorous, though mostly ranging toward flesh. Their favorite
form of food is meat - be it brought down by themselves or scavenging. They will
also eat grasses and leaves for sustenance in lean times. Before hibernating,
they hunt feverishly and consume everything within sight to store up fat for
nourishment during their hibernating months.
Mating.
As stated earlier, Skaurgere regularly mate, though only during the mating
season will these animals be capable of producing offspring. These beasts fall
into heat mid-summer and into early fall. This is the prime time to mate and
produce offspring- and this is also the time of season when hunting occurs most
often.
The mating process is very similar to the one stated above - the male will share
a meal with the female, and it is given instinct that the pair will mate
thereafter. However, there is a sense of display in the feeding during the
mating season - Males tend to roar violently several times during the meal,
perhaps as a signal that he is aware that she is in heat and that she is his for
the remainder of her season.
If another male chooses an already taken female, a battle usually ensues between
the males- much like food-battles. The victor takes possession of the female in
question, and the loser must choose another.
Females give birth towards the end of winter, just before the end of
hibernation. Regularly, only a single Skaur is born, but two Skaur is not
uncommon - usually of different fathers. At birth, the baby Skaur weighs about
two hebs, and cannot walk.
The Skaur latches on to a feeding teat, where he will stay until the mother
awakens from hibernation. This allows the baby to develop, sheltered away from
the world. After the hibernation is complete, the mother and her Skaur (at this
time, usually ranging between 5 and seven
hebs) join up with other
plainbeasts and continue to roam the plains.
The following summer, she is incapable of having offspring as she is still in
possession of a Skaur, and while she may still mate, will not fall into heat
until the next summer. The Skaur is considered mature at about two years.
This researcher has noted that white Skaur (usually not actually white, but in
possession of a paler coat than average, though albinos have been raised in
captivity) are rejected by the mother upon joining a herd. It is assumed that
white Skaur are seen as a hindrance to hunting - their white pelts stand out
against the plains - and are abandoned by the mother. Trainers find these white
babies the easiest to see and catch, and it is why they are so prominent in
captivity.
Usages.
Skaurgere can be trained if either captured in their
youth, or "broken"- a process of dominating the beast through the use of ropes,
bridles and harnesses, much like horses - only much
more dangerous. Their pelts are thick and when washed, can be very soft. Some
tribes use their pelts as blankets. Their flesh can also be consumed, it is
leathery and tough but very nutritious. Plains-dwellers like to make stews of
it.
Myth/Lore.
It is believed that the Taeanrhim established the Black Pelted Beast, chiefly
named Ur'Gour, as Evil. In early times, when Ur'gour were more prominent, they
were most often pack leaders or the most dominant beasts. Some researchers noted
the Ur'gour was more prone to violence - it charged at observers and was found
to hunt for pleasure, dragging down and killing beasts but not consuming them.
This caused the Taeanrhim to believe that it was an agent of Coór seeping into
the natural world to turn others to chaos. As the Taeanrhim became more obsessed
with the vanquishing of all Evil, these Ur-gour became easy targets, and were
killed on sight. This tradition still lives on, with tribes of
human and
dwarven origin as well.
Researchers. Bertrand D'Alba was a researcher and prowled West
Nybelmar. He studied many
things about this region, including the Skaurgere and
some of the material in this entry was from his book "The Extraordinary Journeys
of Bertrand D'Alba".
Information provided by
Viresse
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