Brikune

Oh yeah, I love having them as my neighbors. No really, they're so quiet and hardworking, and everytime my fence breaks one of them...cub things comes out and fixes it up for me. The Brick-pun-eh guys are just the best...No i don't think that's racist or speciesist, what the hell? Can't a guy like his Brick neighbors in peace? You're everything wrong with this country, I swear--

— A slightly less than cultured farmer

The Brikune are a young sapient species, followed closely by the goblins who appeared out of nowhere around the 800's. Their beginning is rather complicated and unnecessarily upsetting if you think a little too hard about it, but they have adapted well in the later years, settling into their own place in the world quite well.

Biology

Almost as an echo to their original purpose, the Brikune have a mismatching appearance, like the pieces of their body don't quite fit together all the way. The very basics, of course, is that their head, resembling that of a Hibagon or Cow, doesn't fit perfectly on their body, furless and humanoid as it is.
These features were developed specifically by the original scientists, thinking they could get the dexterity of a human worker and the strength and endurance of a Hibagon for a better farm hand. unfortunately, they weren't expecting the awareness that came with the combination, or the intese levels of empathy and wisdom that seem to spring from nowhere.

Anatomy

As mentioned, their anatomy is rather awkward looking, like peices of seprate bodies stitched together in some way.

Head

Their head is predominantly cow-shaped. A wide skull, long, wide snout, and wideset eyes. Most Brikune have some kind of horns, usually curved, short, incredibly sturdy ones. their fur grows heavily all over their head, with an extra shaggy tuft on the top of the head. If left ungroomed the fur can easily grow over their eyes.

Body

Controversly, their bodies are almost direct copies of a classice human body. They are highly muscled, yes, but their proportions and general anatomy is incredibly humanoid. Deviations are found when diving under the skin. Their bones are denser and better prepared for breakage, as well as double lined muscles and larger lungs for better breathing. In addition to that, brikpune do have two stomachs and, incedently, do chew their cud. As unpleasant as that can be to think about.

Dietary Needs

Brikpune are primarily herbavores. They eat any and all plants, though they tend to prefer grasses, alphalfa, and clover. Most of their dishes resemble salads, and they don't like to cook their food. They simply harvest it, prepare it, then eat it.
When eating grasses, Brikune have an incredible sensitivity to the different types of grasses, clovers, and other greens. Most are baffled not many others can differentiate them.

Stages of Life

Newborn

In the week directly after birth, brikune learn all the necessary skills of living. They learn how to crawl within the first day, as well as drink milk and make a grass and milk mixture for themselves. This is the most helpless a Brikune will ever be, and they make sure to grow out of it quickly.

Calf

Once a newborn can teeter about on their own, they are considered a calf. Calfs are the transition period between a newborn and an adult. In this stage they learn how to work, how to talk, and how to survive by themselves if it were to come to that. They are playful and curious, and their fur is particularly fluffy.

Adult

Adults are fully developed. They stopped growing, they've settled down. They tent to stop asking so many questions and get very interested in the rote, repetative work in front of them. Many find a special interest to get heavily involved in, like animal husbandry or weaving. This is where their patience fully displays itself.

Averages and Statistics

As of the First Total Continental Census of 1495, species were able to be compared against one another as a learning tool. While the Brikune on average weren't that interested in the reprocussions of such data, being invited to participate in a sapience specific cencus was rather exciting and validating.

Temperment

On average, Brikune were found ot be hardworking, diligent creatures. Their most prominetn feature is their unyeilding patience. In a way, it is similar to that of beastfolk and their attention to the moment. But for Brikune, it seemed a moment could last forever and they wouldn't ever mind.
They tend to be careful creatures, aware of their hulking size and mass and careful how they apply it to their daily life.

Phyique

Physically, they dominated. Their capacity for muscle mass is astounding. Their ranking was right up with orcs, Dragonborns, and Dwarves in terms of muscle mass to capcity ratios. Unlike their counterparts, the brikune present tended to heir on the side of delicasy, flexing to the height of their capacity only when needed or speifically asked for.

Intelligence

While not the most intelligent of species, they still easily qualified for unassisted sapience. Abstract problem solving was shown to not be their strengh, but in applied learning they tended to be above the average. Most took a long time with their assesment, carefully pooring over every detail to make sure their answer was as correct as possible, much to the bordom of their assessors.

Geographic Distrobution

Brikune are found exclusivly in the eastern glades, specifically the southern half. They prefer temperate climates and open feilds rather than mountainous or forested areas. they trhive in the outdoors and in small towns.
As of now, most have settled somewhere on sidhaor along with the nymphs and dryads that have teken a shine to them.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• BeastFolk
• Hibagon
• Human

Geographic Distribution

• The Eastern Glades

A Strange Beginning

Unlike other species, the brikune didn't come about naturally. There wasn't any spontaneous crossbreeding or magical intervention from anhigher power, or simple evolution.
No. The Brikune were engineered specifically to work on farms. The best scientists, bioengeneers, and breeders gathered together under a joint investigation to develope an advanced farm animal to help with the ever increasing demands for food garnered under the crop coalition and trade agreements.
They were specifically attempting to get an intelligent, strong, durrable creature with high amounts of endurance and an even temperment. Which they did get. However, they weren't expecting or particularly excited over advanced cognitive abilities and awareness the genetically engineered creatures turned out to be.

The Jounry to Recognition

It took a relativly long time for their sapience to get recognized and their freedom granted. As against slavery and its Ilk the nations were, most were hesitant to give up the fabulous workers that the Brikune had proven to be. It wasn't till after a heavy, well documented debate where a young Calf stepped up and showed people beyond a doubt what the brikune were that things began to change.
progress ever since then has been slow, but steady. Their separation from Apsaloosa to their own little nation, thanta, was good progress. Then thantese inclution in global discussions was another good step and they hope to make many more.

Lingering Reputation

Still, there are areas where people still consider them...lesser. They are no longer seen as animals, thankfully, but many think they might intellectually slow or perhaps a little child-like. There can be a lot of passive disrespect thrown about in casual language that they are still battling to this day.