O'lessi

The O'lessi (Olessi giganteus) are great elk-like creatures, considered sacred to many wood elves and kept as mounts. They are huge- larger than moose and other deer, and have gigantic antlers that span metres across. Alone in their genus Olessi, the species is also known by the names the "Elven Elk" or the "Great Elk" to people outside of wood elf culture.

Description

O'lessi are incredibly tall, standing up to 2.5-3m at the shoulder, with antlers spanning up to 4m. O'lessi are most notably known for their gigantic antlers. Spanning over 4m in length, these antlers are supported by a large hump-like muscle group on the shoulders and chest. Though antlers are grown on females, they are much shorter than that of males, and are shed later (see reproduction). Antlers are grown during the rutting season and are shed when they are no longer needed. As they regrow, they are coated in velvet, which is rubbed off on trees as part of the rutting process.
O'lessi are also distinguishable from other large elk, which have typical woolly fur, by their coats. O'lessi have a varied coat. The hair is usually short and more wirey on the topline to protect from snow and water. It is wooly, long, and thick along the dewlap, belly and chest of the animal. This large patch of fur helps keep their calves warm and dry as they walk beneath them.

Colours

O'lessi come in a variety of colours. Regardless of their general colour, they tend to be countershaded- with a light underbelly and a darker back. The rims of the ears, area around the eyes and back of the tail are usually darker than the rest of the coat, as well as a small stripe from the lower lip to the beard.

• Brun: The standard, common wild variant. This colour is typically an even, unsaturated brown colour, with a black nose and slightly darker points. It is evenly countershaded, with a darker back and a pale underbelly
• Brux: A varient of Brun. The coat is greyer and diluted leaving the legs the legs are noticeably darker. The underbelly is much lighter, appearing almost cream or white. The knees are mottled and the dark countershading on the back can be dappled or mottled in appearance. The muzzle and eye area is usually darker than the diluted coat.
• Aash: A very pale grey. The darkness across the back is reduced to the areas of the shoulders, spine and rump, and the muzzle is dark. The underbelly and legs are almost white Thought to be a homozygous presentation of the dilution that causes Brux.
• Ahr-Koal: A colour variant of any of the previous colours, causing a dark mask and neck marking and dark legs.
• Koal: A rare, stronger expression of Ahr-Koal that darkens the entire animal and can leave it appearing very dark brown or black.
• Piebald: Any of the previous colours, marked with areas of white. Skin in affected areas is pink or mottled.
• Frosted: A specific pattern of piebald that leaves snow-like frosting across the topline of the animal, which can appear on any base colour.
• A'lein: Pure white. Caused by a heavy expression of piebald.

Dimorphism and Reproduction

O'lessi are sexually dimorphic, most obviously in size. Male O'lessi are considerably larger than their female counterparts. Their antlers are more than 3 time the size of females', and the hump of muscle on their shoulder is relative to this. Females tend to also have shorter legs in relation to their body size. This is thought to be an adaptation to allow their tiny calves- which are unusually small in comparison to adults- to suckle more easily.
O'lessi males begin to grow their antlers during winter, and go into rut at the beginning of spring They mate mid-spring as calves are beginning to wean from their mother's milk and onto grass. Males use their impressive antlers to decide who gains the right to mate. Males will compare antler size by sizing their antlers up against each other. Usually, this display is enough to scare off younger or less virile males. When two bucks have a similarly sized rack they may physically fight, using their large antlers to wrestle. These fights are brutal and often result in injury, and are avoided where possible.
Unlike other Elk, female O'lessi also grow seasonal antlers. Females begin to grow their antlers in the last 3 months of their pregnancy and are shed as their calves wean. O'lessi calves are very small- much smaller in comparison to adult body size than standard elk calves. O'lessi calves are particularly vulnerable to predators. They are born very pale in colour with wooly fur that they shed as they become yearlings. This shed wool is particularly valuable, often used as insulation and for luxury linings.
O'lessi calves travel in a unique fashion, walking between the legs of their mother in the thick underside fur of her belly as the herd travels. The mothers adjust their gait accordingly, stepping wide and straight as to avoid trampling their calves.

History

In Sedia, O'lessi have been domesticated throughout all observable elven history.
Notably, in the Great War between Virias and Sedia, General Elred Daleth representing the Wood Elf city of Keseluna rode into battle on a huge black O'lessi who carried him up the heights of Mount Verdin to chase the survivors of the attack on The Sedian Northern Royal Airbase. With only his O'lessi for aid, he took down 32 trained soldiers and mages, freeing 11 captured first-year mages destined to be slaves.

O'lessi are believed to share a first age common ancestor with their smaller cousins, †O'lessi robustus, an extinct member of the same genus once endemic to the Azure Isles and other various islands on the East Coast of Sedia. O'lessi robustus is known by verbal accounts of the people of the islands, as well as specimens of antler, bone and taxidermy. Thought to have become extinct around 3000 years ago, the island species was very similar to their continental cousins- the main difference being a marked reduction in size thought to be caused by insular dwarfism. Their antlers appear to be more fragile to physical damage- probably as an adaptation to living in heavily wooded areas, allowing them to break free if their antlers became caught.

Wood Elf Domestication and Herders

In wood elf culture through Sedia, the domestic O'lessi are herded by skilled druids who dedicate their lives to herding. These druids are given the name second name O'arakhor, a wood elf word specifically for the protectors of the O'lessi. Herders are trained by older druids, starting from the young age of 13, spending months at a time in the wilderness protecting the herds. The herds are brought back to the settlements sporadically, usually staying in designated areas for a week or two, up to a few months. During this time they are brushed, milked, groomed and fed to ensure the next wing of their journey is fruitful. O'lessi are never slaughtered for consumption or resources. They are all named and killing an O'lessi for any reason other than mercy is considered murder. O'lessi may be euthanised by an O'arakhor following prayer if its condition is considered terminal and with suffering.

Sedian O'lessi are particularly reliant on their herders. The largest O'lessi grow in the herds of the wood elves of the Keselunan Woods. Wild O'lessi can only access the rich food source the woods provide outside of rutting season, as their antlers make it impossible to traverse the trees. Herders allow the O'lessi in their care to traverse the woods year-round, assisting them in carefully manoeuvring through the trees and helping them if they get tangled. They also provide valuable protection from woodland predators, as the elk cannot defend themselves in the narrow confines of the woods without the help of their herders.
The O'lessi are not tamed in the traditional sense- rather they seem to accept their herders as part of their group, and live a symbiotic relationship with them. The O'lessi will not allow anyone to milk them outside of the O'arakhor, demonstrating the close relationship the herders have with their animals.

Resources:

Antlers: Most notably, O'lessi are kept for their gigantic antlers. They are shed every year in winter, at which time the Herders collect them and take them to Keseluna or other wood elf settlements, where they are made into sacred weapons and tools for the people. The wood elves cherish the antlers so dearly they are hesitant to allow other races to use them and consider anything made of the antlers to be sacred and magical. Testing shows that O'lessi antler channels magic extraordinarily well, making it a valuable commodity for mages, and for technology that requires magic channelling such as flux technology.

Milk: O'lessi also provide milk. Does who have a calf at-foot are typically milked once a day when the herds are resting at a settlement. They are not kept in milking condition like cows, and because of this milk is a very seasonal product usually consumed in winter when there are many new calves that have not yet been weaned. It is usually consumed fresh, warmed and mixed with honey. On years with many calves, the excess milk is sometimes made into a hard, dry cheese which lasts a long time.

Fur: As the herds make regular stops into settlements, loose hairs are brushed thoroughly before the O'lessi are bathed. This is usually a task undertaken by those in the community whose role has been assigned to work with textiles, and requires specific training and patience as well as careful oversight by an O'arakhor. The hairs are then washed and sorted by hands and dyed or bleached and made into various textiles. The loose fur is most useful for felting year-round, but during winter months it is particularly downy and can be made into a "wool".

Meat, bones and sinew: Deceased O'lessi are butchered by the O'arakhor following a ritualistic prayer to Ervian to celebrate its natural lifecycle. If useable- Antlers, bones, pelts and meat are all returned to a settlement as quickly as possible, though sometimes meat cannot be preserved well enough to be properly returned. If not able to be taken to a settlement for consumption, the remaining parts are buried in a traditional manner. To wood elf people, O'lessi meat should only be consumed by wood elves, and any and all means possible to avoid consumption by other people or animals should be taken.

Wild O'lessi

Wild O'lessi exist in Sedia, mostly in the mountains or open grasslands where their antlers are less of a burden to their movement. They move in small herds of 3-10 individuals, usually with a mix of bulls and does. Larger herds are much more common in Virias, where large open spaces make it easier for them to move from place to place. During the winter, Veridian O'lessi spend most of their time in the sheltered plains of Allinor where they are able to continue to graze and calf. This has lead to a significant winter hunting event each year that continues to drastically reduce numbers of O'lessi in Virias, despite recent laws put in place to ban hunting of doe O'lessi during winter to prevent death of pregnant does and calves.

by spooktacular

Scholarly Name: O'lessi giganteus
Common Names: O'lessi, Great Elk, Elven Elk
Conservation: Endangered- Estimated to be less than 8000 individuals
Range: Widespread across Aresia