Mutane (moo-TA-nuh)

The mutane were a long-necked, cloven hoofed mammal with short snouts, rounded ears, and large eyes on the side of their head. Both male and female mutane grow singular horns on their heads and shed the outer layer of their horns every year in the fall. Over the winter, their horns harden slightly larger than before and they would rub their horns against those of their companions to polish the surface to a pearlescent shine. The horns were not especially sharp and it was very uncommon for mutane to use them against humans, but it was theorized that, if a horn did pierce the flesh of a potential predator, the material of its horn could slowly poison the predator and prevent any further harm to their herd. They were bred for their woolly pelt, which grows nigh-continuously and over almost the entirety of their body. When mutane were wild, they were hunted for their meat and pelts, which did not grow nearly as long. The wool grows up the length of their necks about halfway down their four legs. The lower halves of their legs are covered in thick short fur. Their tails are long and whip like, moving fluidly, with short fur until a tuft of longer fur at the end which is notable softer than their body wool. The mutane needed to have their wool clipped once a year in the coldest climates and twice a year if a farmer was trying to keep a herd in Afiligua, due to the heat. Mutane subsisted on a diet of wild grasses but their health was bolstered by the inclusion of oats and other grains, especially during the winter. Mutane doe are not known for producing very much milk so they were never used for large scale milk production but it was not unheard of for smaller communities who were more isolated from common trade routes to supplement their diet with a yogurt product made with mutane milk, called Mume.

Mutane horn-shed was considered a powerful medicine when crushed very fine and dissolved in liquor. Mutane horn was a diuretic and an emetic, so it was especially useful in instances of poisoning, but would be administered carefully to prevent dehydration. Because of the dangers of ingesting horn-shed, the material is very rarely used to craft buttons, beads, or pins due to fear that a child may swallow the item but it is not entirely unheard of.

The tail fur of the mutane was believed to contain special healing properties in part due to its softness and it was common in mutane herding communities to save the tail fur of your herd to craft felted talismans of protection for infants. These felted talismans would be square or rectangular with a bone pin used to attach to the front of a swaddling cloth. Children would grow up with the same talisman as an heirloom and the designs needled into the tags could be of various animals or common plants depending on the whims of their parents. Tail fur was also frequently used to embellish the garb of especially wealthy people as a sign of their status, showing the expansiveness of their herd.