Omkhii Polecat
Racial Magic
Fliris' Sense
Can sense the movements occurring around them and perceive speed and velocity despite any barriers.
and
Fliris' Slip
Cannot be impeded by physical matter, slipping right through. They can move with increasing, cumulative velocity but have poor control the faster they go.
Fliris' Sense
by Lee Stepp
Can sense the movements occurring around them and perceive speed and velocity despite any barriers.
and
Fliris' Slip
A small but spirited mustelid which calls the Mongol Uls home. This particular breed of polecat makes its home amid this seemingly desolate tundra, coated in layers of snow and ice for most of the year. However, underneath these layers of frost is a vibrant grassland whose plants and animals have both evolved and been blessed with Racial Magic to better adapt to these conditions. Despite the polecats cute face and small size, it is an apt predator.
Local Khalkh Monggols call these mustelids tsaivar khokh omkhii. This means "pale blue stench" for the powerful smelling fluid they are capable of spraying and the coloration of their magic form. They are particularly mischievous and troublesome little creatures as their magic form renders them particularly difficult to impede. It isn't uncommon for these polecats to sneak into food supplies without notice. Fliris' Slip allows them to pass right through any barrier while their Sense manifestation makes them quite perceptive to movements, easily slipping in when there is no sign of life inside.
Basic Information
Anatomy
by Lee Stepp
The omkhii polecat is a weasel like carnivorous mammal found throughout the colder climates of Mongol Uls and Frozen Wastes. With a long tail and short legs they are somewhat larger than weasels but smaller than otters. It has a distinct bandit-like appearance, with white stripes across its dark face. It has a dark tail and rounded ears. It is very similar to the Eluzian polecat but its body is somewhat more elongated. Like the Eluzian polecat, it is known for it's foul odor. The omkhii polecat is larger in size and has a more powerfully built skull than it's Eluzian cousin.
It has sharp, strong claws and compared to other members of the mustelid family, the polecat has exceptionally large, sharp teeth. Females are significantly smaller than males. It has four pairs of teats and well-developed anal glands which can produce an oily, yellow musk, which has a pungent, sharp-smell sprayed in self-defence or used to mark territories. This is how they received the local name of tsaivar khökh ömkhii (Pale Blue Stench).
by Lee Stepp
Genetics and Reproduction
by Lee Stepp
Females are commonly referred to as jill and males are called hob. Babies are called kit. Omkhii polecat are polygamous by nature, males mating with more than one female. They usually breed between March and April. Before mating, males will drag an unresisting female around the den by her scruff. Oddly enough, this signals the female's body to release eggs and aids in fertilization. After a pregnancy of 36-43 days, the female can give birth to 3-6 kits though litters of 18 have also been observed.
Nursing females are far more settled than most polecats but will begin roaming once their kits are old enough to accompany them. Kits are born blind and naked with pale rosy skin and a membrane over their ears. The eyes open after 28-34 days and the kits become more active. They may even attempt to tear apart prey while still relying on their mothers milk. By the age of 45 days they are capable of hunting young ground squirrels and target adults at the age of 60 days. These kits remain in the family burrow for two or so months before dispersing in July or later. At 10 months they are reproductively active but don't reach full adulthood until two years.
Ecology and Habitats
by Lee Stepp
Omkhii polecats are nocturnal, nomadic predators and aren't prone to settling into one area for too long. They only stay until their prey are extirpated. Generally, this is only for a few days to a few months—they are very efficient hunters. In winter they are actually more active, moving 12-18 km (7.4-11 miles) a day. Unlike their original ancestors, they are not impeded by heavy snowfall and actually use it to their advantage. However, they are far more drawn to human settlements because of their ability to infiltrate and snatch foodstuffs from humans.
These polecats don't generally dig their own burrows. Instead, they make use of their prey's dens and burrows and only slightly widen them. Most of these polecats prefer to live on their own, interacting with each other in family burrows only during breeding season. Omkhii polecats have a preference for wide open steppes and tundra. Some will even make their home in the frigid deserts of the Frozen Wastes where there is ample vegetation. They will also settle into meadows, pastures, uncultivated fields and even ravines or abandoned quarries. Anywhere their rodential and small mammalian prey make their home. It is their skill in curbing these pests that causes humans to overlook their mischievous and smelly presence.
Dietary Needs and Habits
by Lee Stepp
These mustelids are fully carnivorous, hunting at night and occasionally twilight. They prey on ground squirrels, hamsters, pikas and young or injured adult marmots. Ground squirrels are their primary prey throughout the year. When near rivers and lakes they will also hunt water voles, fish, chickens and carrion. They may even occasionally kill birds such as partridges and willow grouse.
As for their methods, they rely heavily on their racial magic. Their ancestors were already highly successful hunters and this was only sharpened with magic. They hunt primarily amid deep snowdrifts and tundra ice which shelters a surprisingly versatile grassland. Many of their prey have adaptions and racial magic which allows them to live beneath the snow and ice or even inside it. To better equip them, Fliris blessed these creatures with their Sense and Slip. Fliris' Sense allows them to sense even the smallest motion and a number of details of this motion such as speed and velocity. This allows them to locate their prey no matter how deep in the snow, ice or even ground they are. It can also be used defensively against flying predators such as hawks and eagles.
Fliris' Slip allows these weasel like carnivores to move through any barrier. They cannot be impeded, slipping right through physical matter. This also allows them to run with increasing, accumulated velocity but it is difficult to turn or stop the faster they go. They use the former to slip past all of the ice, snow and even earth and make their kill. Unfortunately, it also means they have a skill for wriggling their way into places they shouldn't be or popping out of the ground and frightening people. You never know where they'll manage to squeeze into when looking for somewhere warm to hunker down!
Biological Cycle
by Lee Stepp
It's winter fur is soft with short, dense underfur and long, sparse guard hairs. The base color is light yellowish. The head is piebald and it's eye region is covered by a brownish mask. The summer coat is shorter and courser with more brown tones. Some will pay good money for their soft fur and hunters target them for this purpose.
Behaviour
by Lee Stepp
These are mischievous little creatures, often sneaking into people's homes and munching on stored food. Sometimes they'll even tinker with children's toys and pilfer shiny objects. If one digs around the steppe, they might find little treasures stashed away in burrows alongside half eaten prey! They are extremely energetic with a measure of restlessness and curiosity. It isn't an uncommon sight to see these creatures zooming about the steppe at ridiculous speeds, unimpeded and chaotic. Many of them do this when they are happy.
They are playful, especially with each other, but this play can easily get too rough. Despite being agile they are also extremely clumsy due to poor eyesight, their extreme speed and difficulty stopping only worsening this. It also isn't an uncommon sight to see these creatures crashing into a snowdrift, white powder bursting everywhere. If they are feeling particularly energetic and bold, they enjoy chasing after children and cattle of the Khalkh Monggol clans. Most know this to be harmless and there is even a popular children's game, drawing them out with food or shiny trinkets before practically playing tag with them.
by Lee Stepp
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Omkhii polecat are exceptionally agile and greatly depend on their sense of hearing and smell because their eyesight is poor, especially their depth perception. They can leap up to one meter at a time and appear to follow a random walk trajectory while searching for prey. Their racial magic grants them a unique advantage in hunting or even evading their own predators, able to sense movements all around them for quite a ways. This pulls information from within Fliris' Plane and is automatically fed directly into their mind. Anything and everything in motion is within their perception and they commonly use this while hunting prey burrowed deep within the tundra snow.
by Lee Stepp
Scientific Name
mustela eversmanii
Origin/Ancestry
Steppe Polecat
Lifespan
4-5 years
Average Weight
1.3-2 kg (2.8-4.4 lbs)
Average Length
290-562 mm (11-22 inches)
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
by Lee Stepp
This creature's magic form manifests robin blue or light blue-green patterns all across its body but especially along their short legs.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
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