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A goat-like animal famous for its exceptional balance, the capacity to jump up high ledges, and scale steep mountains, the Springbok has been a majestic feature of Guldar for many years. The mammal was encountered by the Eronidas but has been most embraced by the Maquixtl, who sampled its Genos to create one of their many Genos Forms, allowing them to benefit from the animal’s speed and sturdy frame. The animal is relatively isolated, and while populous, is not easily encountered in the wild, hiding away from the world in the mountains it calls home.
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| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Springbok |
| Common Nicknames | Mazatl, Westagoat |
| Classification | Mammal |
| Habitat | Westafar |
| Domesticated | No |
| Current Status | Rare |
History
Thriving for centuries, and perhaps millennia, among the mountains and foothills of Westafar, the Springbok ended up mostly escaping the notice of the Eronidas, though they were prized animals when successfully captured and made part of any herd. However, when the Eronidas Exodus approached, the animal could not be taken aboard the great barges overseas. For one, they were already rare and relied on vegetation not easily grown in the conditions the boats might bring. Additionally, their quick, climbing-heavy mentality meant that it was likely they would find ways to escape their pens, to say nothing of possibly reaching awkward, or highly dangerous places not suitable for them when on a large, rocking boat. For this reason, the animals were not brought with the Eronidas, but the memory of them survived as it is said the Eronidas fleets’ last meal in their homeland involved the slaughter of any stock of Springboks they had. The nimble animal was able to thrive in the wilds in the decades to come after the Eronidas left the land, and with the arrival of the Maquixtl, a similar sort of relationship to that of the Eronidas was established. The Maquixtl sampled the animal’s Genos however, and created a new form for their people. As a result, the Maquixtl have had better luck domesticating the Springbok. While in many cases, they are closer to feral than they are penned and entirely controlled, their milk products are highly sought after, while their meat is similarly prized due to its even greater rarity.
Physical Appearance
The Springbok stands between three and four feet high, not counting its antlers, has a length of up to three feet long, and weighs as much as two hundred pounds. Their head is narrow but with a short muzzle, and features a small mouth with grinding teeth, a wiggling, dark-hued snout, and two large eyes in a range of earthy colors. The top of their heads are topped by a pair of large, but rounded ears, alongside two prominent, though still short, antlers which have rounded branches much like those of a reindeer than a normal male deer. Their neck is strong, and reinforced, connecting the head to a similarly fortified, but also nimble body. This stands on four cloven hooves and ends in a short cervid-style tail. Their coat varies in length depending on the season, but their colors remain consistent, with deep browns, blacks, and dark grays common, while paler patterns, often in hues of pale pink, beige, or off-white, commonly exist along the back legs as dappling, in small marks along the face, and across the underside of the body. Their tails have a tuft of white, then a paler hue, and then a darker color overtop of it.
Diversity
The Springbok lacks much in the way of diversity. Both males and females of their species grow the antlers which ordinarily might denote gender, though female antlers tend to be shorter on average. Young Springboks are notable for having dappling along their legs which fades with time, while older Springboks are also known for developing hair growth that closely mimics the beards that goats possess. Springbok populations are equal in the ratio of males born to females.
Life Span and Development
Springbok fawns are liveborn and can emerge as single births or in pairs. Initially weak on their legs, fawns quickly adapt and find their balance easily. They always emerge with a very pale hue to the darker tone they will have later in life, and the dappling that exists along their back legs will, for now, cover much of their small torso. Their antlers are also not yet present. The fawn then develops in four distinct stages, with the young fawn stage the shortest, and seeing them mature into the grown fawn stage after three months. At this point, their antlers begin to come in, and their dappling recedes to their hind legs, while their adult coloration starts to come in. After six months, the young adult phase sees the Springbok begin to leave their parents’ side, and fully adopt the characteristics they will have as an adult. However, sizewise, they remain physically smaller, and will slowly grow into it over a year and a half. After this point, they become full-grown adults. Springbok can live for up to forty years in the wild, and about the same time under the care or attention of Maquixtl shepherds, though this title is a bit of a misnomer since it is they who usually follow the flocks rather than the other way around.
Mental Overview
Springboks are hardwired for climbing, and ascending surfaces. With nimble bodies and sharp reflexes, they are capable of surmounting the greatest, and seemingly most impossible slopes with ease, while dodging attacks, or pursuers, at the same time. They are flighty by nature, with even small sounds triggering a cascade reaction in their small herds that can see them vanish in a matter of moments. While they can grow to trust people, the Maquixtl who often herd, milk, and support them tend to take on the Genos form created in mimicry of them, which seems to put them greatly at ease. Springboks get along well in their family units but can be territorial and testy with those from others, resulting in antlers locking, and individuals being pushed off of their delicate perches. But, much like mountain goats, Springboks are excellent at recovering from such situations, and it is rare for these spats to result in death. Springboks are broadly herbivorous, otherwise only eating the eggs of small regional mountain birds and insects as they come across them.
Territory and Groupings
Springboks live in small herds of several family units joined together. Springboks often mate for life, or at least several years, and these pairings also keep their fawns close at hand. When a fawn has matured, it often leaves with other young adults and either forms its herd or joins others on the mountain. Springboks move around a fair bit and do not strictly claim a territory, but do have a strong sense of personal space, with dominant males and females positioning themselves on commanding rock outcrops to survey the area around them, both as herd lookout, and herd leader. These positions can be challenged, as was mentioned earlier, and smaller spats when two herds meet are also not unheard of. Springboks often keep to the mountain slopes of Guldar, or the dense foliage and hills at their feet, rarely descending too far into low territory.
Trivia
- Bok as a term has an uncertain origin and may be linked with the Dragons rather than any one group. References to various “Bok” creatures exist across history, seemingly implying a link to the natural world, with the two most prominent in the modern day being this animal, and the Aaltaar Bok, a bovine, which was once native to Guldar yet was seemingly entirely transported away during the Eronidas Exodus.
- Springbok cheese is often one combined with a smattering of the same mountain vegetation the animal itself relies on, creating a unique taste well enjoyed by those who have access to it.
- Springbok suffer predation from an array of creatures, from the Guldar Paradise Bird should they venture a bit too far down their mountain slopes, to the region’s wild Wyverns.
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