Hathi - Elephant
Used as a mount and worker throughout eastern-central Ardu.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Trunk:
Hathi have around 40,000 muscles in their trunks. A Hathi's trunk acts as its mouth, nose and hands all in one. It is used for breathing, smelling, picking up objects, touching and hugging. It is a very powerful yet delicate instrument, strong enough to break a branch from a tree and yet delicate enough to be able to pick up a single blade of grass. To drink, a Hathi sucks water into its trunk like a hose and blows it into its mouth - Kishnagari researchers reckon Hathi can store up to nine litres of water in their trunks! The trunk also lifts food into its mouth. Hathi are great swimmers and can use their trunks like snorkels!
Tusks:
Tusks are the only two front teeth of a Hathi and grow throughout an elephant’s lifetime. Used to dig and find food, to play and fight, tusks are important tools although some Hathi are born without one or both. Made of ivory, which has long been coveted by certain cultures, Hathi have sadly been poached (killed) for their tusks. Hathi poaching in Kishanagar is considered a capital crime and carries the sentence of death.
Hathi have around 40,000 muscles in their trunks. A Hathi's trunk acts as its mouth, nose and hands all in one. It is used for breathing, smelling, picking up objects, touching and hugging. It is a very powerful yet delicate instrument, strong enough to break a branch from a tree and yet delicate enough to be able to pick up a single blade of grass. To drink, a Hathi sucks water into its trunk like a hose and blows it into its mouth - Kishnagari researchers reckon Hathi can store up to nine litres of water in their trunks! The trunk also lifts food into its mouth. Hathi are great swimmers and can use their trunks like snorkels!
Tusks:
Tusks are the only two front teeth of a Hathi and grow throughout an elephant’s lifetime. Used to dig and find food, to play and fight, tusks are important tools although some Hathi are born without one or both. Made of ivory, which has long been coveted by certain cultures, Hathi have sadly been poached (killed) for their tusks. Hathi poaching in Kishanagar is considered a capital crime and carries the sentence of death.
Biological Cycle
As well as being one of the largest land mammals, Hathi have the longest gestation period of all animals at 22 months. After the birth, a calf will stay very close to its mother for the first few years, who will nurse her calf for around 4 years. During this time, infant Hathi are milk dependent and cannot live more than a few weeks without milk, although they do start to eat vegetation at just a few months of age. The progression of Hathi mirrors the development of humans and as Hathi are extremely tactile, calves need to be touched every few seconds for reassurance, and often suck on their trunks for comfort, just like babies suck their thumbs.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Elephants live in herds, which are highly organized social groups of 6-20 elephants led and guided by an older female leader, called a matriarch. As the leader of the herd, a matriarch will make all the decisions for the herd - including what to eat, where to sleep and where to go. Female elephants stay with the herd for their entire lives meaning a matriarch acts as a grandmother and/or mother to most of the herd members that include several generations of female relatives (aunts, sisters and cousins). Males (called bull elephants) will only stay with their family until adolescence (around 14 years old) when they venture out on their own and spend most of their lives alone or with other bulls.
Hathi are sensitive and complex social animals who seek the companionship of other Hathi, preferably their own families. With a life span of 70-80 years, Hathi will grieve and mourn when a herd member dies and Hathi have been observed visiting the bones of deceased herd members and touching these with their trunks.
With females remaining with their herd for their entire lives and bulls forming ‘bachelor herds’ made up of other males, it is clear that Hathi form close bonds of friendship. They have even been known to care for an orphaned Hathi even if the infant is not related to the herd, although if a mother is already nursing her own calf, the chance of this reduces.
Hathi are sensitive and complex social animals who seek the companionship of other Hathi, preferably their own families. With a life span of 70-80 years, Hathi will grieve and mourn when a herd member dies and Hathi have been observed visiting the bones of deceased herd members and touching these with their trunks.
With females remaining with their herd for their entire lives and bulls forming ‘bachelor herds’ made up of other males, it is clear that Hathi form close bonds of friendship. They have even been known to care for an orphaned Hathi even if the infant is not related to the herd, although if a mother is already nursing her own calf, the chance of this reduces.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
South western Ardu; Kishnagar, Manggar Jungles, Southern Argeminos, Batang, Sijang, Kolokala, Tengla, Southern Oristan
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Hathi communicate over long distance using infrasonic calls, as such Hathi feet are extremely sensitive to vibration and it will be very difficult to sneak up on a Hathi.
Hathi - Elephant
Huge Beast; unaligned
Armor Class: 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 76 (8d12+24)
Speed: 40 ft
STR: 22 (+6), DEX: 9 (-1), CON: 17 (+3), INT: 3 (-4), CHR: 6 (-2)
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Challenge: 4 (1,100xp)
Trampling Charge. If the elephant moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the elephant can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions:
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (3d8 + 6) piercing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Huge Beast; unaligned
Armor Class: 12 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 76 (8d12+24)
Speed: 40 ft
STR: 22 (+6), DEX: 9 (-1), CON: 17 (+3), INT: 3 (-4), CHR: 6 (-2)
Senses: Passive Perception 10
Challenge: 4 (1,100xp)
Trampling Charge. If the elephant moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the elephant can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
Actions:
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (3d8 + 6) piercing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
Lifespan
70 years
Average Height
12-16 ft
Average Weight
6-8 tons
Average Length
20-26 ft
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