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| Silat Wolf | |
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| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Silat Wolf |
| Common Nicknames | Tlāl-cuetlachtli, Sol Hunter |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Habitat | Altaleï |
| Domesticated | Yes |
| Current Status | Uncommon |
The Silat Wolf is a strange creature, a species of large wolf used as a Mount by Maquixtl outside of Westafar and one that is omnivorous, known to eat both meat and plants, even some fruits. Emerging at an unknown time centuries ago, the Silat Wolf survived at the edges of the Allorn Empire until its collapse, and the Maquixtl and subsequent recovery of nature allowed their population to rebound. Highly independent, those trained by the Genos Elves are suburb companions of that Heritage.
History
Where and when the Silat Wolf first appeared in the wilds of Altaleï is unknown. Depictions of wolf-like creatures exist in the ancient cave artwork of the earliest Elves, but it is unclear if they truly depict the Silat Wolf. It is certain that by the time the Allorn Empire rose to power, the canine species had been identified. It thrived in the great grassland of Ullaren and remained there for millennia, only occasionally being hunted or disturbed. However, as the Allorn Empire decayed, overhunting–and plain masochism–saw the species drop in number. When the nation entirely collapsed, the Silat Wolf looked to rebound into a fierce predator of the plains just before the Maquixtl arrived. These groups who came to populate the Ullaren Plains were masters of animal taming and Genos manipulation. Whereas the Ailor dog took centuries if not millennia of incremental effort by that Heritage to tame and shape them into companions, the Maquixtl only required a few decades. The Silat Wolf became not just a guard animal, but also a beloved companion, renowned among other Heritages as they made contact with the Maquixtl living in the Ullaren Plains. Wild packs still exist to this day as well, but regardless of where they are found, these intelligent canines leave their mark on the mind.
Physical Appearance
The Silat Wolf stands between four to five feet tall, sits at five feet long, and weighs between 150 to 200 pounds for all members of their species. Despite the animal’s broader similarities to a wolf, their face is fox-like, with a long narrow muzzle, black nose, small brown or amber forward-facing eyes, and large, forward-facing pointed ears. Their neck is short, though it possesses a mane of longer hair along the spine and underside which rapidly fades into the rest of the animal’s body. They are sleek and thin, with narrow, strong legs built for running, each resting on a firm but delicate foot. Their body ends in a long, pointed, and fluffy tail. Silat Wolves are covered in a thin layer of body fur that is only notable in the mane around their neck. Their body hair is a mix of colors, with beiges and tan shades along much of their bodies and faces, which have a gleaming character to them that sparkles in the sun, while entirely white fur–which does not gleam–covers their paws and makes up their mane.
Diversity
Silat Wolves lack sexual dimorphism of any kind and have a stable population ratio between the sexes. However, it is noted that most domesticated Silat grow to the upper limits of the species while those in the wild are often on the smaller spectrum of appearances.
Life Span and Development
Silat Wolves are born in litters of between two and six members. As pups, their body hair is extremely light, and they are cared for equally by their mother and their father during this vulnerable time. They mature quickly, their pup fur vanishing to give way to their adult colorations after only three months. After only one year, they reach full adulthood. At this stage in the wild, new Silat adults will be either driven off by their father and forced to make new lives for themselves in the pack or beyond it or peacefully disconnect from their parents to do the same. In domesticated surroundings, Silat Wolves often only gradually drift away from their parents, with little aggression or immediate incentive to push them away. This sometimes results in Silat siblings helping to raise their baby brothers and sisters in a later litter produced by their parents. Silat Wolves live up to twenty years in the wild, while those in domesticated surroundings can reach as high as forty.
Mental Overview
Silat Wolves are highly independent creatures and are also described as “inventive” while also possessing a heightened intellect likened to a mixture of the cunning of a fox with the ferocity of a wolf. In the wild, Silat tend to hunt alone or in small groups, shirking the normal mentality of pack hunting to instead focus on, and stealthily take down, key targets hunted over as much as two weeks though such a length of time is rare. Their hunting activities often mask the surprising fact that they do not solely eat meat, but also consume fruits and other local plantlife to Altaleï as easily as most herbivores. They are true omnivores, and this helps to sustain them in their careful, methodical hunting periods, as well as when meat is scarce. Silat Wolves will then bring what leftovers they have, or when hunting for pups, will bring the kill whole back to their pack den to consume their meals or meal communally. Silat Wolves also show an ability to learn and adapt, capable of understanding hunting traps after previously encountering them, and rarely view an easy meal without suspicion. In domesticated surroundings, their independence makes them tremendous tools of battle and defense among the Maquixtl, as they will fight separately from their rider against identified foes. Their craftiness also reveals itself in how Silat, pups in particular, can escape confinement or appear in surprising places to the concern but lighthearted annoyance of those who retrieve them.
Territory and Groupings
Wild Silat Wolves live across plains areas and light jungles or forested regions of Ullaren in Altaleï. Packs of Silat Wolves sit at up to six to ten mated pairs of adults, with a score of single male and female Silat who can come and go as they please. Solitary Silat are extremely rare as the animal is heavily communal. Silat packs live in communal den regions, sometimes semi-underground areas like caves or beneath the shelter of rocky overhangs, but other dens may simply be in forest clearings. In domesticated surroundings, Silat packs can often be much larger, and while they still possess a leader, the true dominant force is the Maquixtl. Silat of this variety can easily be broken apart and combined with other packs as needed, and are kept in semi-underground pens called Silaburrows. However, putting two pack leaders together is a recipe for trouble, and the Maquixtl takes great pains to ensure this does not happen.
Trivia
- Silat Wolf pelts, highly prized by nobles and well-off Ailor, are viewed as abhorrent by the Maquixtl. Even the hunting, warrior-focused Maquixtl rarely seek to take down a Silat Wolf and wear its pelt for this reason.
- There have been no successful efforts to transport the Silat Wolf across the ocean into Westafar for Maquixtl from Guldar to see the animal for themselves. Some believe this is why there has yet to be a Genos transformation of this mammalian species, as the vast majority of such creations are made from Guldar fauna.
- The humorous tales of a highly intelligent but oftentimes overthinking Silat Wolf in its quest to consume a very large, stupid, and stupidly lucky bird of the plains, are well enjoyed among the Maquixtl.
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