Eldry Elk

Photo by Livin4wheel on Unsplash

The magnificent best lay prone on the forest floor, Antlers ripping up sections of moss, exposing the red earth beneath. a single incision ran from just below his tufted chin to the apex of his sternum. Whoever had hunted down the eldry was practiced in the art. There was no excess blood and they hadn't been foolish enough to pillage the elk for meet and fur.

Emno knelt down at the side of the creature and whispered a short prayer, tracing glyphs in the moss, which bled bright blue as it reacted with the oil on his fingertips. Shunned by civilization, he was of a mind to keep word of the poaching to himself. But the wound in the eldry's neck gaped at him, like a dark chasm of hell. Not reporting it would mean that somewhere someone had an unregistered camin, and that meant that people were going to die.   

Basic Information

Anatomy

Eldry Elks follow the general body plan of deer with a few significant differences. Their antlers are extremely expansive and branch out many times over their live, resulting in an intricate branch like pattern. Their antlers are made of an incredible light, but strong material known as abalone. The nature of the creature has an ethereal component as once they die (Of natural causes or otherwise), their skin melts away to expose the muscle which takes on a wooden texture and appearance. Although these wooden figures are destroyed as they are thought to be unlucky, corpses left in the wild tend to release roots and become beautiful, but leafless trees.  

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Eldry are farmed for a bezaor like formation that forms in the larynx known as a carmin. A carmin is made of an unidentified stone mineral and is known to extend life, depending on it's setting. However,it can only extend life at the cost of others. A set carmin is capable only of extending plant life and is a popular farming tool, the extended plant life charged by the sacrifice of cracked eggs or compostable material. It is illegal to own an unset carmin as these have the ability to extend human life. This is incredibly dangerous as it requires the sacrifice of human nature, favoring small children.

Origin/Ancestry

Elderian

Conservation Status

These creatures are often elusive and seldom seen in the wild. They are considered to be an endangered species in the wild and hunting them is punishable by death in most places, but by lifelong enslavement in others. Despite this, they are farmed in relative multitude, although the market is highly regulated. There are currently ten legal flocks with numbers ranging from 20 to 40 in each.