Shirosei Yagi, 白背山羊 – “White-Spined Mountain Goat”
The Whiteback Ibex, known in Verian as Shirosei Yagi, is a large, surefooted herbivore indigenous to the Varran’del Ridge. It is revered throughout Veria for its serene nature, endurance in harsh terrain, and perceived spiritual alignment with the stillness of the mountains. The species is under protection by Verian spiritual and environmental authorities, with strict laws in place that prohibit hunting, capturing, or disturbing ibex herds outside of ceremonial contexts.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Whiteback Ibex is a large, sure-footed mountain ungulate adapted to extreme elevation and sub-zero temperatures. Its most defining feature is the broad streak of pale fur running from the crown of its head down its spine and tail, contrasting with the darker slate-gray and moss-brown body coat used to blend into rocky cliff faces. Adult males possess wide, spiraling horns marked with deep grooves that can be used to gauge age and strength.
Their hooves are cloven and rubberized, ideal for gripping icy rock. A layer of fat and dense undercoat insulates them through windstorms and bitter winters.
Genetics and Reproduction
Whiteback Ibex form herds of 6–20 individuals, with a single dominant male presiding over several breeding females. Breeding season begins during late Noctherin, and births occur in early Verdantia, timed so that young can learn climbing before peak spring melt.
Growth Rate & Stages
Newborns are precocial—standing and climbing within hours. They reach maturity after two years and may challenge herd leaders after five. Fights between males are dramatic but rarely fatal, involving horn-locking and balancing contests near precipices.
Ecology and Habitats
The Whiteback thrives in elevations too rugged for large predators, often traveling in near-impossible cliff lines. During warmer seasons, they descend to lower slopes for mineral-rich spring vegetation and salt licks, where they may cross paths with other creatures.
They coexist with species such as the Kazehime, 風姫 – “Princess of the Wind”, giant eagles, and snow leopards. While giant eagles and perytons may hunt ibex young, adults are rarely targeted. The ibex’s presence often draws these predators close to Verian hunter-patrols, creating natural tension between hunting and preservation.
Flocks of ice mephits sometimes follow herds in winter, stealing body heat and licking frost from the ibex’s fur—annoying but not deadly. In Yogul, such occurrences are considered signs of spiritual unrest.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Whiteback Ibex are herbivorous, feeding on glacial sedge, cliff-root, stonebark lichen, and mineral-rich waterplants exposed in thaw. They chew slow and grind bone-like mineral shelves with their molars to acquire calcium and salts.
When threatened, they flee upward—into cliff bands where only the most agile creatures can follow. Some hunters claim they can leap over 15 feet across sheer chasms, though these tales are likely exaggerated.
Biological Cycle
In winter (Caelorith through Solvaret), ibex herds huddle against sheer rock walls where sunlight lingers longest. Males become reclusive and territorial, choosing perch-ledges they defend through the season. In spring, they migrate to glacier-melt paths and high ridgelines to graze on lichen, ice-moss, and alpine berries.
During mirrorstorms or leyline pulses, ibex behave erratically—shifting routes, stamping the ground, or pausing mid-climb. Yogulan sages say they "listen to the silence beneath the stone" during such times.
Behaviour
Ibex herds follow seasonal migration loops, passing through known paths every year unless disturbed. They are mostly non-aggressive but fiercely protective of their young. Herds may “wall-stand” to defend newborns, surrounding them with horned adults on narrow ledges.
They share cliff territory with crag cats, perytons, and the occasional winter wolf, and will avoid known hunting corridors used by these predators. Their presence indirectly supports aerial predators like giant eagles, who follow their paths to locate smaller prey.
In lean winters, herds may trail white dragons or remorhaz activity to find thermally warmed ground, though this is rare and dangerous.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Each herd is led by a senior female known as a path-keeper, who remembers safe routes, cliff stability, and mineral sites. Males challenge for breeding rights, not leadership, and rotate in and out of the group seasonally.
Older ibex that can no longer keep pace often retreat to high, silent crags and are believed—especially in Veria—to guard sacred places or act as watchers over hidden mountain paths.
Domestication
The Whiteback Ibex is not domesticated, nor has any attempt to do so been successful. While young ibex may briefly imprint on caretakers, they inevitably return to the highlands when maturity is reached. Their temperament and specialized biology resist confinement, and monks believe that to cage such a creature is to fracture the spirit of the mountain.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
In Veria, the horns of a fallen ibex are used to craft wind-horns for alpine temples or ceremonial war calls. Warriors who master the ridge trails are given cloaks lined with ibex wool for warmth and status.
In Yogul, whiteback herds are seen as path-guides, and local folklore holds that the ridge itself was first shaped by the hooves of the eldest ibex, chasing a storm across the world’s edge.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
While not magical, the ibex has evolved remarkable perceptive acuity. Its vertical pupils allow for panoramic views across ledges, and it can detect minor tremors in the stone underfoot—alerting it to avalanches or stalking predators. It communicates via low-pitched rumbling calls that bounce off canyon walls, helping herds keep contact through snow-laden fog.
They do not respond to leyline shifts directly, but will relocate their paths when storms—mundane or magical—become unstable.
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