Heikan Bear

My candle had been snuffed but for a moment, when two soldiers barged into my tent. I quickly sat up without much time to cover my indecency, while they begged forgiveness for the intrusion. I waved it off and asked what was the cause for alarm. Their mouths hung agape as they looked at each other to decide who should speak first, and I told them to spit it out.
It was Gaines who spoke up with a stammer, explaining that he and Forden were patrolling the forest line as per my orders. Forden was relieving himself on a tree when he noticed markings on the bark. He assumed they were the result of deer rubbing the velvet from their antlers, and he remarked as much to Gaines. Gaines, whose father was a frontiersman, taught him about the animals of the forest and the marks they left behind. He knew very well that these tweren't the rubbings of a newly crowned deer. Gaines calmed himself and with a look of concern he said “I’m sorry sir, there are Heikans out there.”
I rose to my feet, looked him in the eyes and asked him if he was sure about this. He apologized again, a habit that was starting to bother me, and said he was “Sure of it, I knew them marks, I never saw my father so serious and afraid as the day he taught me about Heikans.”
I told him to wake the others and break camp. We’d be leaving immediately in search of safer grounds.
It was a hard night on all of us, and our exhaustion made the following day just as arduous. But I couldn’t stomach the thought of my men surviving the Battle at White Rose River, only to lose their lives to those damned vicious animals.

from the Diary of Sergeant Mikan L. Faremount.

Found in the Grand Hai Forest, Heikan bears are ruthless hunters. Unlike other species of bears, Heikans hunt in packs and deploy relatively complex tactics in order to secure their prey. Every pack has an alpha or "King" Heikan bear. This bear achieves its status by exerting its dominance over the others physically.
The most distinguishing marks of a Heikan bear are a collection of five white, oval shaped patches on their face - three above the brow and one under each eye. Folktales interpret these marks to be the finger prints of a god, who blessed them with their extraordinary cunning.
There are some who claim themselves to be Heikan "specialists", and offer their services to hunt this dangerous game. Often these men are charlatans looking to exploit a town's fear and anxiety. However there are stories that detail the great exploits of such hunting parties, though none have lived long enough to retire on their earnings.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Heikan bears have shaggy dark fur with a smokey grey underbelly. The color varies based on breeding, but is commonly black or a burnt cinnamon. Not to be confused with a typical black bear, Heikan muzzles are long, giving them a superior sense of smell. It is on their face that Heikan bears display their most distinguishing feature, five oval shaped white patches, three above the brow and one under each eye.
Male Heikans range in size from 6-8 feet in length, and 300-600 lbs. Females are roughly 20-30% smaller.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Heikan bears prefer meat that is high in fat and protein. After making a kill, the "King" or alpha male, will urinate in the area to mark the territory and, more importantly, the meal as belonging to their pack. This scent wards off scavengers from picking the bones, and allows nursing females and cubs to easily find their supper.

Biological Cycle

In the Spring, Heikans are at their thinnest and weakest, especially females who gave birth during the winter months. Summer is mating season. In the Fall, Heikan bears become more active hunters, eating as much as possible in preparation for a Winter hibernation. If a female has been mated with and her eggs fertilized, it is particularly important for her feed during this time. Fertilized eggs delay attaching to the uterine wall until denning season. Without a sufficient amount of stored fats and nutrients the embryo will not develop and simply evacuate from the womb.