Grave Elk

Forest watchers

Quietly, in the dusk, to let the dead rest;
Silently, in the dawn, to give them peace;
Softly in the dark do the Grave Elk wander

— Soom-Shida Saying

Grave Elk are tall quadripedal herbivores found most commonly in the eastern provinces of Hansun, where they have a strong cultural connection to many of the smaller cities and towns. The Elk have short, wiry hair, that comes in a variety of shades of dark lilac -- in the dark, they often blend into the shadows nearly perfectly. Both males and females sport antlers; male Grave Elk have exceptionally large sets of antlers with thick webbing between the prongs, while females have smaller antlers without the webbing.
Grave Elk are drawn to the smell of freshly turned earth -- as such, they are often found wandering graveyards at dusk. This has lead to many myths, legends, and folktales regarding the Elk, most of which have some word of warning or encouragement woven into their story. Grave Elk are both wild and domesticated, and with such a strong cultural connection, many Elk have found work within ceremonial practices across eastern Hansun.

Grave Importance

Your loved ones will know if your afterlife is blessed or cursed by watching to see if the Ethelk visit your grave.

— Soom-Shida wisdom

To many in Hansun, death is an opportunity. Those with wealth will plan their funeral procession as a way of showing their success, and those without wealth will go into debt to attempt the same thing. In the eastern provinces of Hansun, this is mostly done through hiring of domesticated Grave Elk that then lead the march to the newly dug grave that awaits the recently deceased.

The tradition of hiring a Grave Elk for a funeral has become so commonplace that it's seen as insulting to the dead if there's not at least one present during the procession. The time it takes the Elk to walk to the grave, and how long it remains standing beside the hole in the earth, are seen as directly correlated to the quality of person that the deceased used to be.

I want four, no, five, Gravehorns at my funeral. Make that 6. And maybe sneak them some liquor before. I want them sluggish!

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— Desperate last wishes

Forest Gifts

The Grave Elk honor our dead; so too shall we honor theirs.

— Soom-Shida wisdom

Honor for the dead is not exclusive to deceased humans in eastern Hansun; it extends to the wildlife that must be taken and consumed to prolong the life of the region's people. While they are generally the most protected species native to the area, Grave Elk are occasionally hunted for their meat. This is always a very serious event and is always done with the utmost respect -- the animal is never trapped or tricked into death, and never are the calves or nursing mothers taken.

Meat from the slain Grave Elk is always shared communally, often dried and cured to last for long periods of time to ensure survival of a community. The antlers of the slain Elk go to the one who killed the animal -- they're hung in that person's home in a gesture of somber gratitude for doing what needed to be done.

Poach an Ethelk or take what you don't deserve, and you lose your right to any respect in death.

— Soom-Shida wisdom

Grave Elk by Nnie

Common Names

Ethelk, Gravehorn

Theories

Full understanding of why the Grave Elk seek out the smell of freshly turned earth has not yet been gained. Most seem to agree that it's not related to feeding -- the Elk chew bark and leaves of local trees -- but instead think it must have something to do with finding a mate.

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Other Elk

Some keepers of Grave Elk have begun to breed for slight behavioral differences in the animals -- some, rather than being drawn to the smell of fresh dirt, are instead drawn to the smell of freshly spilled blood.

Blood Elk

What was at first seen as a new, grotesque behaviour, soon began to be seen as unique and useful. Grave Elk that seek blood rather than earth started to see use by local enforcement operations, in order to aid search operations and murder investigations.

Do NOT let the Blood Elk get loose. We don't want it out lookin' for Ichor.

— Ranch hand

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