Bull Hog

"Big and loud are fitting descriptions for many Sun Elves. It would seem that also applies to their livestock." - Steachi Traveler

Written by: jester2b

Cover Art by: Rafael Sewa

Everything is Bigger in Crucible

The ranchers in the southern regions of Crucible are known for living entirely different lives than most Sun Elves. They trade the fighting lifestyle their race is known for and instead live off the land, tending to their livestock and supplying Crucible with food. It's a relatively peaceful life, where one won't die by the sword; instead, they'll probably die in an accident with the Bull Hog. These loud and rambunctious animals have been the cornerstone to farming within the red deserts of Crucible. Serving as working animals, mounts, and food, the Bull Hog has been an important animal in the growth of Sun Elven society since the beginning.

Morphology

The Bull Hog is a massive pig-like creature with pronounced muscles and short brown fur covering its body. They have two large tusks used for digging and goring opponents, with males additionally having two short horns on the top of their heads. On their heads is a hard plating that protects them and is used as a blunt weapon.

Habitat

Bull Hogs are most commonly found roaming the southern edges of Crucible, but they sometimes wander north into the open desert searching for food. They like to congregate around rivers and other water sources to cool off, often rolling around in the mud to cool themselves.

Diet

Being omnivores, Bull Hogs will eat almost anything they can find. Their favorite foods are turtles, cacti, a rare species of mushroom known as Iron Stool, and large insects found in the open desert. Domesticated Bull Hogs are mostly fed beef, poultry, turtles, and various vegetation. Incidents have happened where they've attacked and eaten humans and elves, though these are extremely rare, only happening when provoked or starving.

Behavior

Bull Hogs can be quite territorial creatures when out in the wild. Much like a hippo, they'll congregate at rivers and ponds and guard them against intruders. Groups of one to four Bull Hogs can be found traveling together in search of food. Packs like these will often use their size and numbers to force other animals from an area or hunt prey together as a group. These packs are pretty formidable, even taking down some of Crucible's most dangerous creatures like the Uprooter. Bull Hogs have no true natural predator, though some animals like the Gladius Beast and Death Hounds have been seen preying on lone individuals and piglets.
Despite their aggressive tendencies, Bull Hogs have been found to have many quirky personality traits. Both wild and domesticated can be oddly possessive of inanimate objects, oftentimes keeping random rocks they discovered with them at all times. Adults have been seen having what can be assumed to be racing among themselves; the reason for this is unknown. Another odd behavior is known as "food dancing," where after successfully hunting prey as a group, the Bull Hogs will jump around for a short time before eating. They can also begin to randomly start running around to use built-up energy similar to that of dogs.

Reproduction and Growth

Like most mammals, female Bull Hogs give live birth and provide milk and protection to their piglets until they wean them after around eleven months. Weaned Bull Hogs that haven't reached sexual maturity are known to be far calmer than their fully grown, which happens around five years old. The summer is the Bull Hogs' mating season, in which males compete with each other over mating rights with a group of sows. It is recommended that you keep a distance from them during this time, as they are especially aggressive during the summer mating season, especially sows with a piglet.

Domestication

During the Viridium Rush, when elven settlers rapidly colonized the deserts of Crucible, the Bull Hog would be discovered in the southern regions by prospectors. As more elves began to settle the area, Bull Hogs were hunted for being pests and blocking access to rivers. Over time, some brave settlers started to learn more about the animals and eventually began domesticating them. They discovered that the animals could recognize specific people and trust them if they showed no harmful intentions. Like regular pigs, quick movements can startle and stress Bull Hogs out, so those getting close to them should be slow and careful around them. It found that the best way to herd a group of Bull Hogs was to guide them with food, whether that by laying it out for them or by hopping on their backs and holding it out in front of their heads with a fishing rod. Bull Hogs raised in captivity are far calmer around elves than their wild cousins and can be herded with lassos.
Their meat is almost identical to that of normal pigs, though Bull Hog meat is more valuable outside of Crucible for its rarity compared to regular pork. Typically older males and sows without a piglet are chosen for slaughter. The primary method of killing a Bull Hog is to lead it away from the rest of the group and sedate it with drugged food, after which the brain is impaled with a spear or other sharp weapon; ranchers will waste nothing and use all the meat on the animal. Besides their meat, the animals are also killed for their tusks, skin, and head plates, which have various uses, such as leather and armor plating.
While their significantly slower than a horse, the Bull Hog makes up for it with durability and strength. Sun Elven warriors have used the Bull Hog as mounts for both war and travel since they were discovered. Their bulky frames and large tusks allow them to plow through enemy formations with ease, and their hardened head plate protects their head from damage. Sun Elves often attach metal armor to the animals to make them even more formidable in battle. Their muscular frames give them the strength to carry large amounts of weight and multiple people without hindrance. A formation of Sun Elves riding on armored Bull Hogs charging towards their enemy is a genuinely terrifying sight on the battlefield.
Another common use of this animal is for work. The Bull Hog's strength makes them useful for carrying goods and pulling carts long distances for trade. Most Sun Elven cities and towns in Crucible have stables where the Bull Hog can rest for a while and not get startled by loud noises. Bull Hogs used as work animals need to be trained at a young age to pull a cart, as they usually tend to accidentally destroy them when startled by something or just get bored of the work and try to leave. Sometimes ranchers give piglets little carts that they can walk around with for a time to get used to having the cart on them. However, this can sometimes backfire, as the piglet may end up being too used to the cart and refuse to allow the rancher to take it away from them. Road training is also essential, as they need to be taught to not get distracted by their surroundings or other Bull Hogs they encounter. Trained piglets often form a bond with their owners and their carts, causing them to defend their owners without hesitation when a threat approaches. Harnesses that can be quickly detached were developed to allow the Bull Hog to be quickly released to fight any attackers. For this very reason, merchants traveling with these animals find the roads of Crucible to be relatively safe to travel.

Scientific Name

Sus Bovem

Lifespan

30 years

Average Height

2.13m (7ft)

Average Weight

1,134 kg (2,500 lbs)

Average Length

2.6 m (8.6 ft)