The Kenash Critter Corner

[Fiora Radacke]

Muck Turtle




Size: Approximately 1 ft. from the top of their shell to the bottom
Color: Green skin, brown and green shell
Location: The swamps near and in Kenash
Lifespan: Up to 28 years

General Information: The muck turtle got its name for the amount of mire it seems to collect on the back of its shell as it swims around in the swamps. A timid creature, the turtle will duck inside its shell at any noise or sign of movement, pretending to be a rock in the water. They are generally solitary reptiles, but a male muck turtle will look for a mate at the beginning of every Spring in order to breed.

Female muck turtles lay between 4 and 6 eggs at the beginning of each Summer, ideally in a secluded, protected spot such as under some leafy plants or in between some fallen logs. The eggs generally hatch in about 40 days, and from the moment they are born, the turtles are on their own. They will eat the remainder of their eggs as a first meal and then feed on seaweed and other water plants found in the swamp. Their shells begin growing when they are 3 days old and grow with them for the next 8 years. If they are not caught by natural predators, muck turtles can live more than 25 years.

Value: The shell of a muck turtle is sought after as a bowl or dish, or to make jewelry. One adult shell goes for about 2 GM. However, the turtle eggs are much more valuable, as they are a rare delicacy. One single egg will run about 9 GM, even though they are very small. Any Dynasty family that serves muck turtle eggs at an event really displays their superior status.



Hatchis Caterpillar



Size: Up to 5 inches
Color: White and brown with pink feet
Location: The indigo fields
Lifespan: Caterpillar: 30 days, Moth: up to 2 seasons

General Information: These creepy crawlers are indigo plant eating pests. They can be very destructive to crops and difficult to control or exterminate. They often construct cocoons on the stems of indigo plants and unlike other types of caterpillars, their cocoons have hard shells on the outside, similar to an egg. The Hatchis moth is actually very beautiful with tan, dark brown, and dark blue designs in their wings and are often caught for display purposes, as well as used as design inspiration.

A Hatchis moth, however, can lay up to 400 eggs before they expire, expelling enough pesky invaders to completely wipe out a large section of indigo plants. Although eaten by many different types of birds, Hatchis caterpillars have adopted the skill of hiding beneath leaves so they cannot be seen from the air. The workers in the fields have to be very careful when trying to get rid of them, too, because although they are not poisonous, the caterpillars' blue blood stains skin and clothes if they are squashed. The blue liquid cannot be washed off and generally will not fade until after 10 or more days.

Value: Hatchis moths that have been caught and pressed between two panes of glass are common decorations and one might go for 1 or 2 GM. The caterpillar itself does not have any real value, but if someone were to develop an effective extermination system, they would, no doubt, be handsomely rewarded.

[Alexandre Askara]

Fowlers

Size: Anywhere from 5 inches to 32 inches in length, with wingspans up to but not restricted to 5.5 feet. They can, but not often, be bigger. This is in the cases of the larger females. Males are almost always smaller.

Color: Changes with the seasons for camouflage purposes. Various shades of earth tones, grays, and white.

Location: The swamps of Kenash and most wooded areas of Cyphrus. Some have been known to roost in plantation buildings that are accessible to them.

Lifespan: Up to 13 years in the wild. Some have been known to live 30 years in captivity.

General Information: The Fowler is a strange creature, with the head of a domestic house cat and the body of an owl. They have been in Cyphrus for years, but started nesting in the swamps only about fifty years ago. No one knows why, but the animals don't cause trouble so they are generally left alone. Fowlers are territorial creatures, more so during their mating season in spring and when their young are born in the fall. They give birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs, and their growth rate seems to have increased dramatically since the Djed Storm. Where fledging and leaving the nest once took several months now only takes weeks.

They are carnivorous and will prey mostly on rodents, but fox, chickens, and other smaller animals are fair game. It isn't unheard of for a wealthy Kenashern's unlucky Rivali Lapdog to go missing either. Fowlers hunt in packs consisting of their tight-knit family groups. There is an alpha male and family - usually mother and father of the rest of the hunting party, and occasionally others they have adopted into their folds. Some groups have been recorded to be as large as fifteen or twenty. Their distinctive call is often heard at night when they are most active. Many people say it sounds like a woman shrieking. Their less distinctive sounds are soft chirps and the occasional meow.

Value: Fowlers are almost useless for profit. They can be domesticated, though few people wish to do so because they are not a lovable pet. The best way to do so would be with a newborn - which are usually sold for 5-10 GM. Their feathers can be made into quills, and they can be eaten, though their meat is tough and often reserved for slave rations or a last resort. On average no one pays more than 10 GM for their meat. When exported the meat has been known to be sold for higher prices, but only because foreigners are unfamiliar with the animal, and traders swindle them out of their mizas.

More Fowler Pictures :

[Colt]

Brush Pythons Size: can range between 10 and 20 feet in length, although most are somewhere around 15 Color: Wildly patterned brown. Location: Kenashian swamplands, although captive breeding is rising in popularity. Lifespan: 25 years. General Information: Brush pythons are very rare predators that live in the thick underbrush of the Kenashian swamps, eating anything that they can get into striking distance of; birds, domestic animals and even small children are not uncommon meals to these snakes. They are non-venomous, but their constricting ability is known to be capable of crushing bone. Brush pythons are primarily solitary creatures, only spending a few days with a member of the opposite sex when it is time to mate. After a gestation period of 93 days, the female lays her eggs in a hidden alcove and then leaves them to fend for themselves. When the eggs hatch, the babies are extremely vulnerable to predation, and it is estimated that as many as fifty percent of them will not survive to adulthood. Those that do will take at least five years to reach their full size, at which point they will be fully mature and will begin to create their own offspring. Though the species was once hunted almost to extinction, the recent effort made to domesticate them has made their numbers increase steadily. There are multiple reasons for their popularity: for one, their vibrantly patterned skin in combination with their size makes them incredibly valuable to anyone wanting snakeskin leather. Secondly, brush python meat is considered to be one of the most delicate and delicious meats one can have in Kenash, and to serve it at one’s table is a truly extravagant display of wealth and status. It is very commonly seen at Dynasty events, although even then it is rare to see more than one or two whole snakes made available. Value: Live baby: 50gm. Live juvenile: 100gm. Live adult: 200gm. Meat: 15gm/lb. Baby skin: 15gm. Juvenile skin: 50gm. Adult skin: 75gm.

[Nickolai Marin]

King Cu'upa

Size: On average, adults of this species tend to grow to be approximately two feet in length; from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. (It is to be noted that just over half of the King Cu'upa's length consists of its tail.) There are no differences in size between males and females, but there are minor differences in weight. Adult males tend to be heavier than their female counterparts, weighing in at approximately two pounds in total; whereas females tend to weigh only a pound.

Color: Overall, the King Cu'upa tends to appear in various shades of brown. Typically, the hue of its spines and its hide are vastly similar to the trees upon which it resides.

Location: The King Cu'upa typically resides in the trees and (occasionally) within the bushes of Kenash.

Lifespan: King Cu'upas, at maximum, can live up to seven years.

General Information: The King Cu'upa is a relatively common sight within the city limits of Kenash and its surrounding swamp. As a whole, this species is easily identifiably by its trademark feature: its spines. Spanning the length of its body, from end to end, these spines are both sharp and incredibly durable. When threatened or otherwise alarmed, the King Cu'upa will roll into a tight ball; thereby exposing its spines on all sides. This tactic causes extreme pain to whatever is attempting to prey upon it and is the King Cu'upa's primary defense against the swamp's predators. Surprisingly enough, when rolled into a ball, the King Cu'upa is able to survive even the powerful jaws of a Granidile!

In terms of diet, the King Cu'upa primarily feeds upon insects. However, it also has an appetite for eggs and has been known to occasionally brave the nests of Granidiles for this particular treat. Typically, King Cu'upas can be found in small groups of approximately six to ten. However, these groupings rapidly increase during mating season and result in numbers in the thirties on average. When reproducing, eggs are laid in what have been regarded as "community nests". These are oftentimes located underneath bushes throughout the swamp and are closely watched over by the aforementioned mating groups. Upon hatching, the newborns stay relatively close to the group for their first season of life before venturing out on their own.

On another note, the value of the King Cu'upa is twofold. Primarily, the durability of their hides is rather sought after; as they can be crafted into small pieces of exotic armor. (It is to be noted that it would take a ludicrous sum of King Cu'upas in order to make a single shirt, therefore gloves and other such items are the most common product.) In addition, they make wonderful pets for a number of reasons. Even when fully grown, the King Cu'upa is of a manageable size and its diet is easily accommodated.

Value: Due to their being relatively common in Kenash, the King Cu'upa only costs 2 gm in order to purchase as either a pet or a carcass.
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[Adrienna Lynint]

Sokkiko


Size: About three inches with a tail length double that. Infants can be as small as a single segment in an adult's finger.

Color: Brown with subtle green shading.

Location: The swampland beyond Kenash's borders.

Lifespan: Five years at maximum.

General Information: With their adorable appearance and diminutive size, it is easy to overlook the Sokkiko as simply another rodent keeping itself alive by avoiding the reptile-infested waters of the trees it makes it home, however this is not the case. These small apes are vicious carnivores and will utilise strategies where one acts as a decoy as the rest of a colony (which can number up to fifty individuals) attacks from behind. They will seek vital areas in order to quickly incapacitate their prey and then feast upon their bodies. Very rarely will the Sokkiko scavenge.

As a species not native to the swamp, they have quickly become a dangerous pest that threatens the stability of the ecosystem. If not for the granidiles and extremely voracious serpents and birds, these apes would easily devour anything they crossed paths with, however they prefer not to harass the scaly denizens of the water. They originate within the Gyvaka swamp of Kalea as a mutated species that flourished within Falyndar before the storm of 512 AV. Their arrival in Kenash was completely accidental and very detrimental.

Often, Kenashians will hire mercenaries to eradicate a colony or two in order to better manage Sokkiko numbers. They are valued in Kenash for the succulent meat on their bones and will sometimes grace the tables of the highborn Dynasties. A Freeborn serving this dish is regarded as privileged.

Value: Their pelts and skeletons are nearly without value and will sell for about 5gm. The whole carcass itself, if fresh, will sell for 10gm easily. Some chefs will buy the animal live in the hopes of raising a few in order to serve and may buy a live one for 15gm. A LV1 Animal Husbandry is required to successfully raise a small colony of one's own, although the animals will almost always attack humans attempting to handle them unless raised from infancy.

Swamp Wolf


Size: About five feet tall and six feet long, the wolves are lankier than other species with longer tails to compensate for a lifestyle that involves travelling over fallen logs and swimming.

Color: Bark tones with the occasional green shade. Most adults beyond breeding age show greying colours.

Location: The swamps nearer the plains of Cyphrus where they can best utilise their long stride. Many keep territories in the heart of the swamp.

Lifespan: The lifespan averages at ten years both in captivity and in the wild.

General Information: A fierce predatory species, the Swamp Wolf is completely at home in the swamp. They are a throwback to an older breed that roamed the plains and were altered by the Valterrian, gaining webbing between their toes to assist in swimming should they venture deeper than the shallows and waterproof coats. As with other wolves, they operate in a pack structure with a strict heirarchy. It would be rare to see more than two or three males in one of the fuller packs of nine to twelve members and most male pups born will be eaten by the males present.

The wolf makes a volatile pet and requires animal husbandry of LV2 to be maintained. Adults will rarely respond well to training, so it is best to acquire them as pups and build up a bond with them. They make excellent navigators in the swamp and will generally prove to be very loyal guard dogs should one need them. Their pelts are very valuable and more than one adventurer has been awarded a fortune for their catch.

Value: The fur of a Swamp Wolf will sell for 50 gold mizas and, depending on the colour of the pelt, even more. Value is determined by the richness of the tones and green ones are seen as good luck in households. As a pup, the wolf will sell for 30 gm. Adults are valued at 50 gold mizas but are rarely sold. The trade of swamp wolf paws does exist amongst the more superstitious lot, as some believe they bring good luck to travelers in the swamp, and will sell for 10 gm.

Seerka Squirrel


Size: Adult males tend to be about six inches long with tails of equal length, females tend to be slightly smaller.

Color: Cream colours leaning towards browns and greys.

Location: Trees and bushes in Kenash and within the swamp, rarely encountered where there is more water due to the presence of predators.

Lifespan: The squirrels tend to live five years, however domestic ones are able to live up to seven.

General Information: The Seerka Squirrel is a complacent and very tolerable rodent that tends to coexist peacefully with other lifeforms. The ones within Kenash are noted to be sociable and friendly, even to people, and will approach them in search of treats. It is not rare to see a giggling child being overrun by squirrels, who will use their bodies as a temporary playground before investigating something else. They are considered an inquisitive species for this reason.

When threatened, the squirrel will drastically change its behaviour and screech. With its cry, others will come to its aid and though non-violent, they will try to frighten away attackers with screeching and menacing advances. If they must, a squirrel can "fly" from their attacker, so long as they are in an elevated place. They possess a loose flap of skin that allows them to glide from tree to tree in their foraging endeavors.

Value: The Seerka Squirrel is not very valuable for its meat or pelt, however they are most often seen as pets. Children among the Dynasty families may own a squirrel during their childhood, especially young girls, to teach them how to care for children when they are older.

[Adrienna Lynint]

Honestly, this is tentative depending on how much you favour it; let me know what you think. ><

Aarai.
Size: One foot tall with an additional foot upon their tail. Males are generally narrower than females. The wingspan is twice the size of the bird, but aids only in gliding from tree to tree. The species as a whole cannot fly.
Color: Both males and females have vivid yellow faces, talons, and claws, and deep navy bodies.
Location: Trees within Kenash's swamp.
Lifespan: Twenty years.
General Information: Aarai are confusing animals; while they descend from birds, they sound like squirrels, although with a higher pitch, and also share traits with lizards.

They may be found in the trees at the heart of the swamp, sharing territory and nesting in communal groups well above the waterline to avoid their primary predator: granidiles. Their diet is omnivorous but they prefer to prey upon the eggs of various reptiles, especially granidiles, as well as insects, young lizards, various amphibians, and specific roots and berries. Strangely, they will avoid bird and their eggs. If food is scarce or they are harassed, they will prey upon large mammals, including humans, and even one another.

Aarai are only viable for breeding every third season and will not mate until a year has passed after their previous laying. For this reason, their numbers are small and concentrated and they've rarely been seen by the people inhabiting the swamp.

Aarai possess a rudimentary form of communication paired with intelligence resembling apes and have gone so far as to name each other and communicate grudges against those who have trespassed, harassed, and gotten away.

Value: Aarai are extremely rare and considered invaluable, however knowledge of them is scarce and mainly hearsay. To hunt them, one must acquire lores. To tame and raise them, one must acquire their young (or eggs) and possess a high level in skills related to animal husbandry. Prices are to be decided.

[Adrienna Lynint]

Oro'bas.
Size: They are three feet long at average.
Color: Dull shades of brown and black with pale underbellies.
Location: Kenash's many waterways.
Lifespan: Ten years, thirteen in captivity.
General Information: Oro'bas are a type of constrictor snake adapted for a lifestyle almost entirely submerged, so they possess gills at the base of their heads and a sort of oily texture to their bodies, making them extremely difficult to hold onto.

The Oro'bas are a native species to the swamp that has flourished in and around Kenash for many years. Large populations may be found near the city of Kenash, hiding in the reeds lining the banks of the rivers, and they are present heavily within the rim of Lake Uvic.

These snakes eat insects and very small rodents, and they are commonly released in homes in order to hunt any invasive pest. Some are even kept as pets, although their lack of venom and general feisty natures makes them into volatile animals to have around a home and family.

Value: The snake is generally considered non-valuable, due to the how common it is. Their eggs are bland and the meat is stringy. They are typically sold as pets for about 5 gm.