Kura

Deep underground among the subterranean civilizations of the Hakaji'Elle, or Dark Elves, the giant salamanders known as kura are bred as beasts of burden. Capable of scaling walls using their suction-cup toes, kura prove themselves to be the ultimate mount for underground culture.

Basic Information

Biological Cycle

Kura begin their life as soft eggs laid and fertilized in the waters of special breeding pools. After hatching, kura larvae (efts) grow slowly over several months developing its legs and long tail. Kura will spend the first two years of their life alternating between the water and land. During this stage the kura will develop its colored markings, if any.
Beginning around their second year of life, kura will begin training for riding and hauling. By their third year a kura will be grown enough to begin its work as a beast of burden.
Kura do not sexually mature until they near five years of age. Upon reaching this maturity a kura's handler will determine if the individual is of breeding quality. If so, the handler will have the kura sent to the breeding pools to begin the cycle anew.

Additional Information

Domestication

Kura husbandry has been practiced by the Hakaji'Elle for over 7,000 years. Through the use of specially developed breeding pools, the Elven people are able to induce selective breeding among chosen kuras. Domesticated kura are distinctively larger than wild kura found throughout the Underdark and can be found in a variety of colors not present in their undomesticated versions.
To please kura owners, the salamanders have been bred into a variety of morphs ranging into different hues of white and black. Pale kuras are invariably solid white or pinkish-white without any spots or markings, while darker morphs can be solid black or black with brightly colored spots. The spots on any individual kura always match across their bodies without mixing colors (i.e. all spots on a kura with orange spots will be orange).
Kura spots include the following colors: orange, red, blue, yellow.

Origin/Ancestry

Salamander

Lifespan

40-50 years

Average Height

4.8 feet tall, to the withers

Average Weight

600-700 lbs

Average Length

11-15 feet head to tail

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

pale white or dark black bodies, colorful markings sometimes present on darker morphs.

Related Ethnicities

• Drow