Avanthat Ground Sloth

The Avanthat ground sloth (Theen: ifrastha), also known as the Avanthat sloth, is a large herbivorous mammal found in the Avantha Kolari. A few small groups of Voiced ground sloths exist on the forest's fringes alongside other people.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Avanthat sloths are quadrupeds and usually walk on all four legs, but will rear up onto their hind legs to get at tree branches or to intimidate predators. They grow up to 18 ft long from nose to tail. It has claws designed for digging into bark, and Avanthat sloths can climb mature shuma trees (the only ones large enough to take their weight) for short periods of time. They also have a thin bony ridge along their spine.

Ecology and Habitats

Avanthat sloths require large forests to survive in and as such are only found in the Avantha Kolari, though scholars believe they were more widespread prior to the Nightfall. Their fur is also not long enough to warm them outside the Kolari's artificial heating, though longer fur is becoming increasingly common in populations according to Wild Hunt records. Since they tend to knock off branches that they can reach, they are partially responsible for maintaining the separation between ground-dwelling and arboreal organisms in the forest. Larger forest predators usually avoid them but will target weak, old, or young ground sloths.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Avanthat sloth is herbivorous and eats leaves stripped from the lower branches of trees, as well as occasional underbrush when leaves are harder to find. Because of its size, it must consume large amounts of plants and needs time to digest, so when sloths are not actively searching for food or other resources, they will usually rest to conserve energy. Voiced Avanthat sloths are a little more willing to eat other plants than their wild cousins, though many are involved in maintaining the forest's plant life.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The Wild Hunt does not consider the ifrastha a particularly interesting quarry, as it is herbivorous and only aggressive when threatened, but they and the others living along the edges of the Kolari will sometimes hunt them for meat, hide, and bones. The Hunt also monitors their population and will place a ban on hunting if it becomes unstable.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Along with their strong sense of smell and hearing (and mediocre eyesight), Avanthat sloths appear to have a "tree sense", wherein if anything disturbs a nearby tree greater than picking at its leaves or outer bark, they will become aware and agitated. This has been confirmed by both study of wild sloths and the testimonies of Voiced sloths. This does not appear to be magical in nature, as ground sloths do not process any ability to naturally process quintessence, which is extra confusing.

Conservation Status

Rare

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Brown

Geographic Distribution

• Avantha Kolari