Hravas

The hravas is a pack animal used in traditional Dwarven society, whose wild ancestors were native to the modern-day territory of Erdelan.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hravässen look similar to overland horses, but are shorter and much stouter. They stand roughly 12-14 hands tall, but can haul or carry the same weight as a horse of 16 hands or taller. They have thick, fluffy hair and full manes and tails.

Ecology and Habitats

The hravas is best suited to cool and colder alpine and underground regions, as in its homeland of Erdelan. Some flocks have thrived in Luömisáde, albeit largely as a novelty. In recent years, there have been attempts to bring herds of hrävassen to the caves of Filia and Dancamort; the hot weather of the former and the crowded, overstimulating atmosphere of the latter have made both ultimately unsuccessful.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Hravässen are largely ruminant herbivores, subsisting mostly on grains and root vegetables. They particularly seem to enjoy sugar beets. (Dwarven terrace farmers often take care to keep high ceilings directly beneath their fields, so that their hravässen cannot eat the crops from below as they grow.) Hravässen can also subsist on fungi and cave lichens for long stretches of time.

Behaviour

As pack animals go, hravässen are particularly attentive, intelligent, and loyal. They tend to attach themselves closely to one rider, driver, or trainer; once they have done so, they are skittish and difficult to control in the hands of a stranger. They tend to be impatient, especially with children. (An old Dwarvish term for the age of majority, ikä-den-hravas, literally translates to "of horse age," and refers to the level of maturity for one to safely control a hravas.)

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Like a dwarf's beard, the hair on a hravas' mane and tail is extremely sensitive to vibrations and changes in atmosphere, allowing them to effectively "see" in natural darkness. Its sense of smell and sight, as well as its sensitivity to moisture changes, is much more heightened than that of overland horses. This makes the hravas extremely suited to underground navigation, but likely to get overstimulated or stressed if made to work aboveground for extended periods of time.

by Vladimir Riabinin

Hravässen grazing in a field atop an Erdelanian village.
—

by S

A herd of hvrässen in various colors.

Geographic Distribution

• Erdelan

Related Ethnicities

• Dwarven