Great Elk

If you take a walk away from Jausai and venture into the woods, you might see a shadow of movement beyond the edge of the path. At first glance, you could be excused for thinking it was a thin person moving past a tree, but look closer. What you thought was a whole creature moving behind the trees was only the leg of a massive deer ambling through the woods.

Cultural Significance

The great elks are considered sacred by Kivan people, and killing one requires a visit to the shaman to enter the spirit world and ask forgiveness from Tauvaastäit, Grandfather of the Woods. If you do not, or you do but Tauvaastäit does not find your remorse convincing, you will be cursed. Death and misfortune will stalk you and those around you.
In times of famine or the depths of the winter, a shaman might preemptively visit Tauvaastäit to secure permission to hunt a great elk to save the people from starvation. The hunt that follows this permission gaining is a solemn affair steeped in ritual. Even when the alternative is starvation, killing a great elk is always a tragedy. The antlers will be preserved by the shaman as a reminder of the forest's sacrifice.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Great Elk resembles an Earth elk or moose except for the size. They have 4 thin, gangly legs and a muscular body. Its fur is thicker around its short neck, and it has a small hum between its shoulders.
Other than its size, its most distinctive feature is its huge set of antlers. From tip to tip, they can be 8-9 feet across. A thick column leaves the skull horizontally, as big around as a man's arm. A foot from the skull, the antlers widen into broad, flat pieces of bone with many "fingers" splaying out.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Throughout the boreal forests of southern Cuyania

Lifespan

25 - 30 years

Average Height

10 feet at the shoulder

Average Weight

1,400 lbs

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Brown to black fur, darker around the neck