Mareth

Mareth are beasts of burden common to the grasslands of the Continent. The Kalka'shar have domesticated them to act as medical carriers for the sick and wounded.

Basic Information

Anatomy

A mareth is a large, quadripedal beast with thick skin and shaggy, leaflike fur. It has a large, round head ending in a large snout at the bottom of its face, with two large, slanted eyes set into the side of its face. Its back arches high and curves down to a smaller hump at its rear, resembling the curve of a lounging chair. The larger hump, at the front, slopes toward a hole on the top of the mareth's head covered in a thin membrane which allows water to drain into the creature's body. Its legs are muscular and short, its front legs resembling paws and its back legs a short pair of hooves.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Able to survive on sunlight and liquids alone, mareth are extremely easy to take care of -- many who own mareth tie them below drainage pipes to keep them fed.

Additional Information

Domestication

Mareth are easy to domesticate with patience. Most are docile and will allow themselves to be led with song or a leash, and trust can be gained by laying with the creatures for a few hours at a time. Very little is changed about the beasts when they are owned, but they may become less likely to run from potential predators, making it common for domesticated mareth to fall prey to other creatures.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Once domesticated, mareth can be fitted with wooden braces made to keep a person in place laid out on their back. The brace often has a removable shelter that curves up from the rear of the mareth to shelter the rider and drain any water to the mareth's feeding hole.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Mareth are a pray animal and thus have a wide field of vision for detecting predators. Their sense of smell is acute, able to detect approaching rainfall from three miles away, and their fur resembles long, brown leaves, to remain warm and dry.

Lifespan

15 years

Average Height

2.3 metres

Average Weight

1814kg

Average Length

3 metres