Annoran Deer
Annoran1 deer are endemic to the island of Annor in the northern Central Sea, and while smaller than their closest relatives on the mainland, are the largest species on the island. The animals are unusually tame due to a lack of large predators on Annor2, and it's not uncommon for them to roam close to settlements.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The deer are found throughout the island, though mostly in the less densely populated northern part and the hinterlands around Mt. Virlú.
Because of this taboo, keeping the deer away from gardens and fields in Hiska and other settlements has lead to a unique custom among the annorans, namely the use of small, metallic cymbals, the sound of which frightens the animals.
Cultural Significance
Annoran deer are sacred to the native annorans, who associate them with Þíranis, the brightest star on Adynía's night sky, worshiped by them as a deity. This connection to the star dates back to early iron age, when an elven culture from the mainland settled on southern Annor, but the animals themselves had been venerated by the locals long before the elves' arrival. The earliest inhabitants of the island hunted the deer, though nowadays even so much as harming the animals is a death sentence, no matter the offender's status in life, and any carcass found in the wild is buried and mourned by the annorans in the same way as one of their own.Because of this taboo, keeping the deer away from gardens and fields in Hiska and other settlements has lead to a unique custom among the annorans, namely the use of small, metallic cymbals, the sound of which frightens the animals.
1Original icelandic: annorahirtir, singular: annorahjörtur.
2The main exception are eagles preying on the fawns, but adult annoran deer have no natural predators.
Average Height
~1 meter at the shoulder
Average Weight
50 kg
Average Length
Less than 160 cm
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The deer are notable for being leucistic, a trait which spread throughout the whole population long ago due to lack of disadvantages in the absence of large predators on Annor. Their coat ranges from pure white to -more rarely- pale golden, the latter being more pronounced on the back and neck, and the eyes are brown.
Geographic Distribution
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