Orcorthal
I stood atop a peak, staring down at the Cradle and saw with my own eyes the vast herds. An indescribable beauty witnessing such powerful beasts that have made their home here. Very little documentation has been found on these shy creatures. They somehow manage to subsist on stunted roots, which is all that the Cradle provides here. Their thundering herd was an inspiring sight as they plunged deep into the mountains. The earth shook beneath their hooves, a dust storm the likes of which I have never seen exploded into the air. It truly is sad to see my own orcorthal in their pens knowing this could be the life they live.
Basic Information
Anatomy
An orcorthal is a bizarre mammal, one of only a few that have formed an exoshell. It is a large mammal, 5.2-6.7 ft (1.6-2.05 m) tall at the shoulder, and weighs 1,100–2,600 lb (500–1,200 kg). The head and body length is 7.9-12 ft (2.4-3.8 m), not counting the tail of 24-39 in (60-100 cm).
The orcorthal is a bulky animal with sturdy legs, a heavy frame, and rounded and cloven hooves. They live in cold environments, so they are covered in a thick, dense layer of hair to protect the females' udders and the males' scrotums. These areas on both sexes are small, the female only having four teats, so they are better protected from the cold. Their woolly undercoat is on their chest, thighs, and flanks and insulate against the cold. Among the males specifically, the undercoat is more of a long skirt that reaches the ground. They have long tails made mostly of hair, unlike other cattle or bison species that have a whip-like tail with tufts at the end. They are typically a dark brown color, though they can be found in a more grey coloring as well.
Genetics and Reproduction
Orcorthal are herd animals. In the wild, their herds can contain hundreds, though there are many smaller herds as well. The herd are filled pirmarily with females and thir young, which a ferw males scattered throughout. Most males are found in solitary or in smaller groups, called girdles, averaging six. Females often graze at higher altitudes than the males, upwards of 330 ft (100m) higher! The females choose high, steep slopes to graze on. The females will move to lower altitudes during the snowy season, which is when the rut (mating season) begins. The male yaks become aggressive during this time, bashing their sides into one another in order to impress the females. Wild orcorthal mate during the colder seasons when the herds are close together, which brings increased safety. The gestation of the female yak is 250-300 days. The females will birth a single baby in the warmer months, higher up in the mountains where she can better protect it. Females only birth every other year.
Growth Rate & Stages
Calf
The young orcorthal calf is born 250-300 days after gestation and weighs 15 lbs (6.8 kg). The young orcorthal will be unable to walk during the first few hours of life, but will stand up and join the herd approximately 6 hours after birth. If the calf is unable to walk, it will be left behind. Often times, the mother will stay behind with it and try to fend off any predators, both will likely lose their lives. At this young age, the shell on its back is delicate and squishy, it has not yet hardened.Adolescent
If the calf manages to make it during the first 3 months of life, it will enter into adolscence.At this point, the shell has hardened and it can keep up with the herd without its mothers constant supervision. Adolscense will last 4 cold seasons and ruts. During this time, the orcorthal will put on hundreds of pounds, quickly becoming larger. After the first warming season, their sexes become apparent, the cow (female) will have her udders growing in and the bull's (male) testicles will have descended.Cow/Bull
When the 4th cold season after their birth arrives, the orcorthal cow will go into heat and the bull will participate in the rut, engaging in the mating rituals. They are now official members of the herd. After this first rut, the males will leave the herd and either become isolated, or join a girdle, where they will spend the majority of their time until the next rut.Domestication
The domestication process of the orcorthal was trying but worth it. As they are shy animals, they often passed away in captivity, so it was discovered that the domesticators needed to keep large herds of orcorthal cows together so they would be comfortable enough to breed with the bulls and produce milk. Only the bulls could be kept individually and used to pull carts and go on long nomadic expeditions, as they are used to that isolation in the wild as well. The bulls also have larger shells than the females and this makes them ideal for carrying large loads and even being ridden through dense and snowy terrain.
Additional Info
Ecology/Habitat
The optimal environment for the orcorthal is the base of a mountain range. The females will stay about 330 ft (100 m) high in the mountains while the males will stay at the base, grazing individually or in their girdles. This cold environment is ideal for the orcorthal, as they have a dense, wooly coat and very few sweat glands, which allow them to stay warm. They overheat rather easily so, even though they have been successfully domesticated, if they are brought to warmer climates, they will not live long and the females will not give birth as they will become unwell.Dietary Needs
An orcorthal's diet consists mostly of grasses, small herbs, shrubs, and mosses that they find around the base of the mountain ranges they live by. Their predators have historically been the Crag Saber and the Gylukar. These predators force them to hide at the base of the mountains. Rarely are they found out in the open. While the they can become aggresive when defending their young, generally speaking, they will stampede away to avoid conflict.Uses/Byproducts
Orcorthal milk is sold to almost all countries, as it is filled with calcium and protein. The milk can also be fermented and used to make grilch, which is a popular alchololic beverage in colder environments. The wooly fur of the orcorthal is also sheered from the domesticated breeds and used in clothing. The domesticated orcorthal are bred to have more wool so they can be sheared regularly. When they reach their later years of adulthood, the male orcorthal are butchered for their meat and sold at high prices.
Lifespan
35 years
Average Height
5.2-6.7 ft (1.6-2.05 m) tall at the shoulder.
Average Weight
1,100–2,600 lb (500–1,200 kg)
Average Length
The head and body length is 7.9-12 ft (2.4-3.8 m) counting the tail of 24-39 in (60-100 cm)
Geographic Distribution
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