Mirkireth Hyena

Written by CrazyJack

Mirkireth Hyena are pack animals that roam the jungles of Mirkireth and the plains of Graeonn, they are a common sight in the western regions and can be fearsome adversaries, particularly for small groups of travelers. The animals often stay in packs of up to 20 individuals, lead by an alpha male and female, and roam wide territories for prey. While Mirkireth Hyena are primarily scavengers, they will attack when they can single out and surround a weakened prey animal, or person. In the center of a packs territory they will usually have a lair in which they retreat to sleep, store food, and rear their pups. Mirkireth Hyena are slightly larger in size than their close relative the wolf, which they can be differentiated from by their longer, wilder fur and elongated features such as their paws which end in finger-like gnarled claws, ugly snouts with uneven sharp teeth and evil yellow eyes. Females give birth to litters of up to 7 pups, which are then raised communally by the pack, and taught to survive and hunt. After about 3 years the pups reach full size and maturity, and become fully fledged adult members of the pack. Mirkireth Hyena can live up to 20 years naturally, however males often live shorter lives due to competition over females and the alpha position at the head of the pack, which often results in brutal fights to the death between pack members.
Despite being considered fearsome feral creatures by most races, some Paédor Elf clans, especially the Varak Rivash and Krelka Alasz keep and train Mirkireth Hyena as mounts. When domesticated, the Hyena can be useful in the line of battle and when properly trained will follow the orders of their rider, most commonly being used in light cavalry, skirmishing and scouting units due to their speed, especially when traversing the dense jungles of Mirkireth, which their lithe frames are specifically evolved for. When in battle, the Paédor use Mirkireth Hyena in order to flank and harass enemy lines. Against untrained opponents, or lightly armoured units such as archers, the Hyena are devastating, and use their speed to run down their enemies and tear them limb from limb. The Paédor also often paint the Hyena with their colourful warpaints, to make them seem even more terrifying. In times of peace, Hyena riders are also used as messengers that can quickly travel through the known routes between clans.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Mirkireth
Graeonn

Scientific Name

Miredur Elvsza (Paédor)

Lifespan

15 years

Average Height

1 - 1.2 m (Shoulder)

Average Weight

60 - 100 kg

Average Length

1.5 - 2.5 m