Wooly Auroch

Classification: Parasitic plankton, mammalian

Physical Description:

Size & Shape: Wooly Aurochs are large and stand at about 1.5 metres tall, they resemble mammalian cattle but with long, thick wooly hair. They have four limbs and hooved feet, with some having bioluminescent glow due to their skeletons being held together by parasitic Saesonaid. Though they have visible eyes, they are almost always blind or near blind and use their sense of smell and vibrations to be herded by their cattle-herd. They have lyre shaped horns which are pale and then become black at the tips. The mammalian aurochs who have reproductive capabilities do not have any bioluminesence. Fecund males have dark brown fur with a paler stripe down their back, whereas females have more ruddy and reddish fur.

Habitat & Environment:

Their extinct incarnations inhabited grassy plains, particularly highlands with rich tundra, though due to being Saesonaid they need to be fed algae, therefore when caring for them, it is important to have a pond or source of water. As Saesonaid, the more feral ones need to be trained to consume grass, as they will otherwise constantly wander off and look for sources of water. They thrive in maritime climates, but not in extreme weather zones, as though Saesonaid can survive this, the mammalian aurochs will die. 

Behavior & Social Structure:

They are aggressive but not predatory, only attacking if they feel threatened. Woolly aurochs who have not become mammals, and maintain a lot of their Saesonaid sapience, are less aggressive but also far more intelligent and have been known to be trained to do complicated tasks for their herd and can identify things by scent. It is thought that mammalians could potentially form herds and were eusocial, but not much knowledge remains. They do not have vocalizations initially, as Saesonaid communicate through bioluminescent signals, but the mammalian woolly aurochs will have vocalizations. They have irregular patterns with some mammalian aurochs being diurnal but Saesonaid aurochs resting based on energy reserves. Due to benefiting from photosynthesis they prefer to graze in the daytime as well.

Their reproductive cycles are somewhat complicated - in order to create woolly aurochs, bone with marrow still in it has to be used and brought to the shore where Saesonaid gather. This means that often, the rare mammalian aurochs become sacrificed to create a new herd, unless the breeder/herder has a mated pair. Having a mated pair that can breed a healthy calf is exceptionally rare, and Gron Mael’s Bull cult, which eventually becomes syncretized with Mihr, is centered around the fact he managed this. However, Saesonaid do have a byproduct similar to spores which follow them, appearing somewhat like pollen or a collection of mating gnats to the five senses. These will often parasitize grass, though they don’t live very long.

Abilities & Special Traits:

Woolly aurochs are simply Saesonaid who have copied and absorbed the form of a host, and thus like many Saesonaid-derived species they do not develop full mammalian systems unless additional magic is used, and even then, the chances of success are 1 in 100. Manifesting a mammalian auroch that can supply real wool and meat is not a hobby but a life’s work. The other aurochs serve as companions, experiments, and other purposes, and do provide the byproduct of what is known as “redweed wool”, which is a bioluminescent, somewhat fragile source for textiles such as netting and mesh. It is often used to build nets for redweed aquaculture, hence its nickname.

Cultural Significance/Lore:

The Deii and An-De are particularly fond of wooly aurochs, particularly the Deii of Karkebi, who use the tundra and coastal areas to experiment with their unique biology. They are considered one of the “Seven Oldest Animals” of Karkebi, and  Gron Mael their tutelary deity.

Their patron saint becomes Saint Mehr after the takeover of the Clockmakers to appease the locals, due to some artifacts found of a holy woman preparing to slay a bull, representing Mihr’s submission and conversion to Sheena in Kargast, who still practice an older form of Clockmaker worship. Gron, who also had associations with the Sun, was absorbed into wider Saint Mehr but has some rural shrines still.

The Childhood of Lou Hen includes references to the wooly auroch, when Gron Mael arrives at Lou’s court, he brings with him a herd of aurochs as a gift. He uses these creatures to warn Blodaiweth of his fate, a catalyst for Blodaiweth’s betrayal of Lou. After Gron Mael’s absorption into Blodaiweth’s body, Lou is left with the herd. Variations of what he does with the herd differ from culture to culture. 

Example Scenario: A Pasture of Crossroads