Idraren Bear

There are rumors of bears in northern Alkelbulan but, despite local claims and sightings, most outsiders believe them an urban myth! Regional names for this bear include chimisit, duba, kerit and ngoloko, purported to reside in Idraren Draren. Possessing Maralith's Form and strong solar magic, these bears can manifest physical features of a Manid Hyena in their magic form. Incredibly reclusive, they are strictly nocturnal and only hunt on moonless nights. Their native range is supposedly Marrakesh through Libu but they might also be found in other mountain ranges of the Shamsi Desert like Emi Toubou, Ayar Massif or the Ahaggar Highlands.

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Racial Magic

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First Ability

Maralith Form
(Manid Hyena)

Their magic form has features of a Manid Hyena incorporated into it. Idraren Bears usually gain the coat, mane and head of a hynea but exact features differ by individual.

Second Ability

Rithaldis's Aura

Able to generate or summon radiant energy whether this is sunlight, solar plasma or ionizing radiation. These energies disappear after the caster ends the effect or loses concentration and the caster is immune to damage from radiant energy, natural or magical. That includes the radiation in their natural habitats!

Rithaldis Form

Can convert parts of their body into a kind of radiant energy (photons, plasma, sunlight, ionizing radiation) or has these incorporated into their form. Most Idraren Bear can convert their long fur, their claws or their teeth into radiant energy. What they can convert differs by individual. They are also immune to damage from radiant enery, natural or magical.

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Anatomy

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Original Ancestor

Atlas Bear
Ursus arctos crowtheri

Size

Height 6-9 ft (2.7 m)
Weight 1,000 lbs (450 kg)
Footprint 9 in (23 cm)

Appearance

In their natural form, their fur ranges from reddish brown to nearly black, their muzzle is white and their underparts are reddish-orange. In its magic form it's coat becomes mostly if not all white and they often gain the reddish brown stripes of a manid hyena. While it is stouter and thicker-bodied than other bears, its muzzle and claws are shorter. Most notable is its thick fur, growing to 4-5 in long! When their form is active, they most often gain the signature bristly mane of a hyena running down their back alongside the entire head and face. Yet there are those who gain other features instead such as their long tail or slanted back.

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Diet

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Omnivorous, the Idraren bear feeds mostly on roots, acorns and nuts and might even become herbivorous when necessary. When consuming meat, they scavenge for carrion or hunt small mammals. They rely heavily on the excellent smell and jaw strength of their hyena features which are capable of crushing thick bones. The idraren bear is the apex predator of Idraren Draren despite only actively hunting when there is no moonlight. In fact, they are timid, avoiding human settlements whenever possible. Only those who are starving might wander into villages in order to pilfer trash, prey on helpless cattle and dig up cadavers in graveyards.

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Life Cycle

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Mating season for these bears is in spring, May to July, but the mother will continue to gestate through the winter while she hibernates. She will give birth to 2-3 hairless, toothless and blind cubs and provide milk up until spring or even summer. Cubs follow after their mother as she patrols her territory and they will stay with her until they are 2-4 years old, learning everything from how to scavenge, forage, hunt and defend themselves. Outside of mating and rearing cubs, these bears are solitary, keeping large territories of several hundred square miles. They will communicate with each other using sounds, movements, growls, grunts and even smells.