Northern Moose

Northern Moose
Fauna
Official Name	Northerne Moose
Common Nicknames	Grandhorns
Classification	Mammal
Habitat	Jorrhildr (Formerly Ellador)
Domesticated	No
Current Status	Rare

The Northern Moose is a massive mammal that openly roams the landscape of Jorrhildr. Standing taller than the average Ailor, the Northern Moose is truly a majestic sight to behold, given it’s popularity among the locals. Due to the animal’s resistant nature, it has come to be widely accepted as the symbol of Jorrhildr and its denizens, acting as a testament to their much bolstered hardiness.

First Recorded Encounter

In the year 250 BC, the Moose was still a reclusive creature. However their habitat was encroached upon by early settlers of what would one day become the Kingdom of Hedryll in Ellador. Eventually hunters came across one such moose, readying their arrows to fell the beast. They loosed their bow shots, but they could not bring the mighty creature down. After nearly two hours of tracking and striking out from the snowy brush, the hunters successfully bagged their prize. The men brought the carcass home, feasting on their catch for nearly a fortnight. This led to a period of savage and needless hunting which pushed the Northern Moose to the brink of extinction. Their salvation was brought upon by their dwindling numbers, as what few of the species remained huddled to forming large, daunting packs. These protective herds proved too arduous for the natives to butcher, and so the Northern Moose was left to repopulate.

Current Status

While now a far rarer prize for a hunter, the Northern Moose is one of the most highly sought after animals in the rugged landscape. Its pelt sells for a high price, as do the antlers due to their absurdly large size. Though naturally, as a result of their now highly reclusive nature, it is as rare to see these items in the market as it is to see the beast in its natural habitat.

Characteristics

This hulking example of a mammal is built with large amounts of muscle and is covered in a very coarse and stiff fur pelt. Their legs are one of the highest concentrations of muscle mass in their body as they use their legs to charge or sprint and speeds of up to thirty-five miles an hour, enough to tackle numerous bulky warriors to the ground in an instant. These creatures often weigh around one thousand pounds, but can go up to nearly one thousand five hundred. Their antlers are often very round, and are on rare occasions fashioned into shields by skilled warriors of the North - with each holding a tale of how they’d felled such a mighty beast

Notable Physical Traits

The Northern Moose is commonly found with an almost silver pelt, though this varies throughout the species. The odd moose here and there can be found to have a brown tinted pelt. Their pelts are collected and made into large cloaks, signifying a skilled and patient hunter. The antlers are considered a prized possession among not only hunters, but the nobility in most Northern regions as well due to their exceeding rarity. As such, they prove to be excellent prizes for contests of brawn, alongside gifts to be traded across prominent tribes and villages as a show of good faith, or even to commemorate an occasion such as a wedding.

Origin and Diversity

The Northern Moose hails from Ellador but moved to Jorrhildr shortly before the Cataclysm. Now, if one is to search for one of these great beasts, they must look in the frozen wastes of Jorrhildr. With females being increasingly more rare than males (around one in ten) the amount of offspring being produced is starting to dwindle.

Life Span and Development

On average, the Northern Moose lives around twenty five to thirty years. Over the course of its life, the male moose (bull) will grow their trademark antlers as well as an unkempt thick coat of fur. The female moose (cow) though, only sees a growth in height and weight as it ages.

Mental Overview

The Northern Moose has yet to be domesticated and many have given up trying. Fortunately for those who may still seek to tame one the beasts, they are friendly to Ailor who approach carefully. They protect their young fiercely however and if one makes the mistake of going too near a moose calf, they will be charged. They also tend to do this to each other as a territorial animal.

Territory and Groupings

While the mammal tends to roam the frozen tundra alone, there are reports of small herds forming during the harsher months of winter. Unfortunately, they are a territorial species, which often leads to infighting and can in some cases cause a herd to disband.

Trivia

• The Northern Moose has very few natural predators, those being Dire Wolves and Northern Wolves.
• The Ur worship the creature; this is due to their “leader” receiving a vision from one of the moose. The vision incident sparked a cultural reverence to the animal which most Ur now subscribe to.

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Accreditation
Writers Walrusaur_ Processors The_Shadow_King3, TheBioverse, LumosJared	Last Editor Suzzie on 10/4/2016.

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