'Emoun

Short introduction

The 'Emoun is a beast of burden, which is bred from a Duinis Kén stallion and a mare of a type of wild donkey that is home to eastern and southeastern Erana, the Muinidh Fhoul. It is a sterile hybrid only bred by the Duiniken in Nuat Duinis Talou to pull plows in very stony areas or to aid in the transport of heavy goods like carts full of cabbages, melons, pumpkins, Leindar, ore or bricks. They have to be taken good care off, though, as they are a bit more needy than other farm animals.

Appearance, distribution and ecology

'Emoun look like very sturdy drought horses, but are less tall and of an even more massive built. They have mostly greyish-brown, short fur and a shaggy short mane, most of the time darker than the base colour, but not always. 'Emoun are only kept and bred by the Duiniken in Nuat Duinis Talou. Other societies, while having seen them or trying to buy them from Duiniken traders never adopted this kind of cross-breed for two reasons: First they are infertile, which makes them a one time trade that can hardly make back the money spent. Muinidh Fhoul, the mother animal needed, are notoriously difficult to catch or to keep in captivity and the fathering stallion has to be of a special Duiniken breed, which other societies have no equivalent to. Second, 'Emoun feed only on the freshest and lushest grass, which in eastern Erana only grows in the North or in Nuat Duinis Talou, thanks to its rainy and stormy climate. Another fuel to keep them going is gout, a bitter herb with a strange smell, that is undesirable for Men and Len to eat, but for 'Emoun it seems to be like edible catnip, making the animal inebriated, well tempered and happily lively.

Behaviour, cultural role and use

'Emoun are peaceful creatures to begin with, not needing any gout to be calmed down. But giving them gout makes them more cooperative, as they start taking excercise as fun and happily drag plows and carts, occasionally arsing around with their keepers or passers by by licking them.

They are an inexpendable work animal for the Duiniken, since the relatively harsh landscape and their intense economy requires reliable work force and unsusceptible working aid to deal with the requirements and the conditions. Thus 'Emoun keep being bred, albeit being sterile and thus causing extra cost, as no other animal available could replace them.