Rudana

Short introduction

The Rudana is probably the most massive of the creatures living in the Eastern Erana Cave-tinent (EECT). It is about the size of a horse, but very round and sluggish. The short legs contribute to this quadruped's bulky appearance.

Appearance, distribution and ecology

Rudana subsist of a diet of different kinds of mushrooms mostly, but also feed of non-vascular plants like algae growing on moist stones or in small puddles of water or moss, that can be found in the caves. This protein rich diet enables them to not only build up mass, but especially an unexpected amount of muscle mass.

The Rudana is covered with a dense fur of short and thick hair, which is quite remarkable for the often rather sparsely haired fur reptiles. This probably helps it to keep body heat better in its constantly cool environment. Also Rudana have very greasy fur to repel water more easily, as they live preferably close to their food sources, the mushrooms, which thrive under moist conditions. Their greyish skin is visible inside the auricles, around the cloaca and in parts of the face only. elsewhere they appear in a dirtyish black with a shine caused by the grease glands all over their body.

Rudana inhabit almost all of the area belongings to the Moiyeli chamber of the EECT, but also some minor parts of the Central Erana Mountain Range chamber, where the conditions are favourable enough for mushrooms to grow in sufficient numbers. No Rudana can be found in the Madini-Mukebahari chamber, due to the dry and hot climate caused by the volcanic activity there.

Being the biggest animal in the (quasi)herbivore niche, the Rudana don't have much to fear. Only one predator can harm them once they are grown up. That is the Moiyele, of which of course an underground subspecies exists. Otherwise only younger Rudana get hunted by some predators. Babies, of which each female births only one at a time, are born and around all year long, since there is no seasonal change under ground. Rudana mate more or less randomly, when two of them happen to be in heat.

Behaviour, cultural role and use

Rudana live in lose groups of some animals, never more than ten. They are docile among each other but are a formidable threat for some other animals, first and foremost predators, as they use their mass to charge and crush them without warning. Otherwise the demeanor of Rudana is so faineant, that they tolerate seemingly everything from their own species. Thus there are no in-group fights over food, mates or space. Competition between males as is known from some animals is completely absent.

The Dzel Luak hunt Rudana for food, leather and their grease which is used for a wide array of applications, like water insulation of clothing, treating metal objects so they don't rust and more. For the Kubolen called Sanad Kankunz Takori, the taste of the meat is unbearable. They use the animals as a source for the grease as well. They also keep a number of half domesticated Rudana to operate the Cable car of Valtaps Shetan with the muscle power of these sturdy animals.

Considering the obviously low intelligence of these creatures, it is hardly surprising, that they can not be bonded with. Apart from that, the Kubolen, which actually keep Rudana as lifestock, do not practise animal bonding, while the Luak don't consider it for these animals, so no viable tests have ever been made.