Wrug

Wrug are a species of a deer-like animal, common throughout the Dain continent. They are larger than their cousins and carnivorous, often filling the role of an apex predator of an ecosystem.
Female wrug can reach height up to 250 cm (300 with horns) and weight over 300 kg. Males are smaller, up to 150 cm (180 with horns), but significantly lighter and faster. They are quadrupedal and hooved, able to reach speeds up to 40 kilometers per hour in a straight line. Their coat is usually brown, with lighter and darker swirls of fur forming large spiral patterns. The underside of their bodies is white or light brown as well. At the end of their long necks are relatively small heads, crowned with a pair of horns. The horns are usually lightly curved and serrated, growing out of the forhead and pointing slightly backwards. Female horns can become symmetrically forked at the end.
Wrug are solitary animals, only joining in pairs during their fall mating season. The pairs separate after several days, during which the male fights off any competition, always to a bloody or deadly end. The horns often break, leaving the males relatively defenseless, as powerful kicks are less effective against the opponent of the same species. Wrug rarely pass the opportunity to feed, thus instances of cannibalism, especially during the mating season, are observed. The females give birth in late winter to a litter of 2-3 calves and nurture them until the next mating season.
Human settlements are usually avoided by wrug, but they almost always turn hostile when encountered in the wild. Often a split second decision can make a difference between life and death when a deer-like silhouette is first noticed. To escape a charging wrug, it is advised to climb the nearest tree or to run, keeping as many trees as possible in the line of sight.
Wrug are one of the main causes of death outside established settlements. The attempts to hunt them to extinction were futile, especially now that the population grew after feeding on the soldiers fallen in the Unification War. They are usually killed on sight if encountered by an experienced hunter, both as preemptive self-defence and because as a proof of a kill can earn them good amount of coin at the nearest Peace Hall.