Pets on Salan
I want to adopt a cute pet in your world. What is it and how do I look after one?
Safety: Safe
Uniqueness: Dull
Usefulness: Edible and cuddly
There are many safe choises for a pet. A few conventional choises you can get from almost any settlement are dogs, goats or chicken. They are also all useful sources or food, and dogs can be used for many other tasks as well depending on the breed. From Eastern Islands you can also get a Maw Ûmendmeld, a large and hardy rodent that does well in humid forest climate, and is a good source of meat and fur. They are usually laid-back and quite cuddly, and a white-spotted one is sure to enchant kids and neighbours with it's cuteness! (NB! Owning a maw is curently in theory illegal within the Republic of Free West Island! Although you can still buy them easily, you might get into trouble with the authorities if you try to export it.) From the nomads of the Northern Highlands you might get a tame deer, that are definitely more complicated that goats if you want to ride one, but still definitely a safe choise.
Safety: Safe to deadly
Uniqueness: A bit more creative
Usefulness: Fun to watch, possibly edible
If you don't care for usefulness, you should check the large selection of local wild animals on the market place. Depending on your location, you can find many species of small rodents, monkeys, parrots and other birds, fish, reptiles and even insects to choose from. You should remember that the most of them are sold for eating, and you should check how well they do as pets and if they are poisonous or otherwise dangerous.
Upkeep: Very expensive
Safety: Possibly deadly
Uniqueness: Sure to catch attention
Usefulness: Mostly for show, might be handy for hunting if trained propely
The Aramacänten (Mountain kingdom) has a tradition of taiming the mountain dragons, but unless you are are a high lord of the kingdom, or a king of another land they are in a huge debt with, you have no chance of obtaining one from them. If you really want one, your best chance is travelling to the Pillar Mountains and trying to capture a young desert dragon. With around 5-10kg they are a lot less magnificent than the mountain dragons, but also a lot safer.
Safety: Possibly deadly
Uniqueness: Sure to catch attention
Usefulness: Can fullfill wishes no mortal companion can!
By far the most eccentric and dangerous, but arguably also the most useful choise is a pet demon. You should contact some high-quality Zeribian occultist, and you might find someone, who can sell you an Incantation bottle, a bottle of coloured glass, inscribed with symbols that can catch a spirit inside. Then everything you have to do, is to either find a spirit that is desperate and lonely enough to join you willingly, or find a way to trap one inside. Please don't trap anyone's relatives, unless you want to make them angry! Once you got one, you'd better try to make it happy by fulfilling whatever it wants, unless it will do everything it can to make your life miserable. If you manage to build a working relationship though, you new pet demon will be most useful!
Useful and common
Upkeep: LowSafety: Safe
Uniqueness: Dull
Usefulness: Edible and cuddly
There are many safe choises for a pet. A few conventional choises you can get from almost any settlement are dogs, goats or chicken. They are also all useful sources or food, and dogs can be used for many other tasks as well depending on the breed. From Eastern Islands you can also get a Maw Ûmendmeld, a large and hardy rodent that does well in humid forest climate, and is a good source of meat and fur. They are usually laid-back and quite cuddly, and a white-spotted one is sure to enchant kids and neighbours with it's cuteness! (NB! Owning a maw is curently in theory illegal within the Republic of Free West Island! Although you can still buy them easily, you might get into trouble with the authorities if you try to export it.) From the nomads of the Northern Highlands you might get a tame deer, that are definitely more complicated that goats if you want to ride one, but still definitely a safe choise.
Safe but relatively fun
Upkeep: Low to relatively highSafety: Safe to deadly
Uniqueness: A bit more creative
Usefulness: Fun to watch, possibly edible
If you don't care for usefulness, you should check the large selection of local wild animals on the market place. Depending on your location, you can find many species of small rodents, monkeys, parrots and other birds, fish, reptiles and even insects to choose from. You should remember that the most of them are sold for eating, and you should check how well they do as pets and if they are poisonous or otherwise dangerous.
outragous choises
Dragon
Upkeep: Very expensive
Safety: Possibly deadly
Uniqueness: Sure to catch attention
Usefulness: Mostly for show, might be handy for hunting if trained propely
The Aramacänten (Mountain kingdom) has a tradition of taiming the mountain dragons, but unless you are are a high lord of the kingdom, or a king of another land they are in a huge debt with, you have no chance of obtaining one from them. If you really want one, your best chance is travelling to the Pillar Mountains and trying to capture a young desert dragon. With around 5-10kg they are a lot less magnificent than the mountain dragons, but also a lot safer.
pet demon
Upkeep: High, has complicated needsSafety: Possibly deadly
Uniqueness: Sure to catch attention
Usefulness: Can fullfill wishes no mortal companion can!
By far the most eccentric and dangerous, but arguably also the most useful choise is a pet demon. You should contact some high-quality Zeribian occultist, and you might find someone, who can sell you an Incantation bottle, a bottle of coloured glass, inscribed with symbols that can catch a spirit inside. Then everything you have to do, is to either find a spirit that is desperate and lonely enough to join you willingly, or find a way to trap one inside. Please don't trap anyone's relatives, unless you want to make them angry! Once you got one, you'd better try to make it happy by fulfilling whatever it wants, unless it will do everything it can to make your life miserable. If you manage to build a working relationship though, you new pet demon will be most useful!
by wikimedia commons
A maw is easy to keep fed with some left-over vegetables
by A. Buchan, S. Parkinson and J. F. Miller (1768)
Entry for WorldEmber 2020
In response to the prompt I want to adopt a cute pet in your world. What is it and how do I look after one?
Good little article on possible pets. Amusing and informative. I really like the demon option - and complications. Not something most would consider "pet" material!