Anterine

Basic Information

Anatomy

Massive deer-like creatures, with thick bodies and long, thin legs and knobby knees. They are hooved, with short, puffy tails and wide, flared ears. Male anterine have shoulder humps and large, fluffy manes around their shoulders and down their chests, while female anterine have fluffy manes starting at their crown and going down their spines toward their tails. Their horns grow continuously, and often grow into one another to form large plates. Their growth is usually random, but it can be filed down by rubbing against rough bark or stone or cut or broken off. Horn growth can also be directed in captivity. Horns are made of ever-growing bone and connect to important arteries. The edges of horn growth are flowering, with the rest of horn growing leaves. Both can be harvested and eaten after being prepared properly.

Genetics and Reproduction

Females gestate for anywhere between 280 and 300 days before producing one or two calves.

Growth Rate & Stages

Calves stay with the mother until adolescence, about one to two years, or until their mother has new babies. Most anterine do not breed until their third or fourth year, and they are considered fully grown and mature around their seventh or eighth year.

Ecology and Habitats

Due to the constant growth of their horns, anterine mostly live in wide, open spaces like the great plains of Annwfyn.

Biological Cycle

During spring, leaves and flowers begin to bud on anterine horns. In summer, the leaves and flowers have grown completely. A domesticated anterine, when taken care of, may even fruit during this time, a bitter, sharp-flavored fruit that can be harvested and eaten unprepared. In the fall, the flowers wither and die, and in the winter, the leaves turn brown and fall off.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Anterine travel and eat in loosely-organized herds, coming and going as they please. Breeding pairs do not stay together, although anterine seem to have strong memories and are capable of remembering other anterine and people they have met only once or twice before.

Domestication

Anterine, when not threatened, are easily domesticated and adjust well to domesticated life. They are traditional beasts of burden in all Courts and among the wyldfae. They can also be used as mounts, making formidable foes on the battlefield and helpful travel companions. Their horns are able to be specifically formed if guided by trimmings or casts. Some fae like to make their horns a work of art, while others form them into deadly weapons.  When cared for, anterine horns can flower and fruit in the summer. The fruit is berrylike in size and bitter.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Anterine are beasts of burden, mounts, and livestock. They are raised for meat on occasion, but more often are raised for milk, horn leaves, and horn fruit. Their fur, especially from their manes, is often harvested after the winter to create yarn and thread. Wild anterine are frequently hunted due to how common they are.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Anterine have very strong hearing and decent eyesight. They are capable of manipulating air magic at varying levels: lesser-skilled anterine may be able to create gentle gusts of wind, whereas the most powerful on record are capable of creating near-impenetrable wind tunnel forcefields.

Average Height

2 - 2.2 meters at the shoulder

Average Weight

680 - 700 kg

Average Length

2.7 m

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Anterine, being as massive as they are, do not need camouflage in their grassland habitats. They tend to be brightly colored, often a mix of reds, yellows, and grays, greens and yellows, or very light creams and whites. Anterine tend to have spotting on their rears, usually a lighter color, and their manes change color based on their age. A lighter mane denotes a younger anterine, while darker manes appear on older anterine.