Domesticated Hippopotamus

Unconventional beast of burden. Fearsome cavalry unit.

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The gnome felt out of his depth. He could fit entirely within the cavernous mouthspace of this creature and yet it was being calmly led across a field pulling a plow. Another was resting, swallowing fearsome quantities of leftover tubers. He wanted to go home.

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In the fertile floodplains along the river Ist, hippopotamuses are domesticated and used as beasts of burden that are more than capable of defending themselves from the freshwater crocodiles also native to the area. Their immense strength allows them to pull ploughs to break the land along the riverbanks to allow crops to be planted. In addition, hippopotamuses are used to move large quantities of tradegoods and materials around when camels and horses are less appropriate.

A small number of the beasts are trained as war animals - given armour in addition to their thick hides and used to break enemy formations. Very few forces are able to resist the charge of even a handful of war hippopotamuses, their riders striking downwards with spears from relative safety.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hippopotamuses have exceptionally thick hides covering a wide body on short legs. They are large - up to five metres long and weighing around 3000lbs. The have particularly large mouths with oversized canines and incisors for fighting. They are usually dark grey or brown in colour.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Left to their own devices, hippopotamuses are content to eat grasses and underwater plants. When domesticated, they are usually fed low grade crops and leftover grains.

Additional Information

Domestication

Normally an aggressive creature, the hippopotamus requires careful training by beings skilled in animal handling and often with a passing ability in nature magics. The creature needs to be persuaded that it is "better off" when domesticated so a steady supply of food is required.
In Geganna, there are a few guilds that specialise in the training of hippopotamuses, including military applications.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

A hippopotamus carcass is difficult to process due to its thick skin. In Geganna, the teeth are sometimes used for ceremonial garb and their sweat - usually red in colour - as an acidic liquid with alchemical applications.

Lifespan

40-50 years

Average Height

5ft.

Average Weight

3000lbs.

Average Length

13ft.

Geographic Distribution

• Geganna Floodplains

Summer Camp 2021

Article Links
Bonepicker, Chazbar, Church of Thirasmus, Creep Rot, Derrick & Sons Lumber Company, Domesticated Hippopotamus, Eldrin Sarsatra, Elf, Frost, The Eye that Blinks, The Fabricators, The First Mast, Geganna Salt, Great Arctic Tern, The Great Vortex, Heston Lockheart, Human, Khijian, Katakan, The Last Rebellion, Liberty, Lions of Dun, Magister, Mechanical Grafts, The Mercy House, Mt. Sang, Rubyfall, The Sapient Crown, Seeds from the Sky, Sin, Stockade, Thir Met, The Threat of Endless Fires, Truthscribe Quill


This was an article originally written as part of the 2021 Summer Camp challenge. I have edited the article since then, so what appears on this page no longer reflects the original competition entry. - Theoclymenus