Wata Jackal
 Desert nights in Emynea are strewn with high pitched yelping, whining, growling and cackling of Wata Jackal--all of which is laced with Celestial magic! One might think themselves dreaming, seeing a Wata Jackal dart across moonbeams for the first time, their pearly fur spectral and ethereal. In folklore, this beast often plays clever tricks on stronger animals while in Khoekhoe, Oromoo and Soomaalida lore they are the hero!
Jackals are adaptive, stealthy, cunning and wily, dodging traps and avoiding hunters even without magic. Some beleive they can erase their own tracks, feign death and submerge themselves in water to rid themselves of fleas. Wata jackal are a common character in many Saan myths such as the The Jackal and the Sun. Yet in other cultures they are painted as robbers or pirates. Considered pests, sometimes killing livestock, humans have tried hunting them and even poisoning them but wata jackal have proved adaptable, resourceful and clever. Their Kaithur grants these jackal enhanced perception, using their Eye or Sense manifestations to track down prey, evade larger predators and to avoid regions with too strong an elemental influence. Those with Slip or Movement manifestations are incredibly evasive and mobile, living alongside far larger and more powerful predators. Yet what wata jakcal are most known for is Sylthari's Voice, a mysterious ability with less obvious applications. One can hear them in the night, howling and yapping and chittering, their sounds easily mesmerizing, sedating and charming listeners. Barking and yowling before every hunt, it is uncertain whether they use their voice to mesmerize their prey or to divine the fortune of their hunt!
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First Ability
Second Ability
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Anatomy |
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Habitat |
These jackal prefer open areas with little vegetation. They can tolerate coastal desert, farmland, savannah and alpine regions. Their range includes the Shamsi Desert, Birit Narim, Kasar Wuta, Gaarreen Ho'aa, Nyasi za Rangi and KwaZulu. |
Life Cycle |
Jackals form monogamous pairs and live in small family groups. They are highly territorial, marking their range with urine and feces and aggressively expelling intruders. However, elder offspring often stay to raise the next litter before setting off on their own. Mating occurs from May to August and pregnancy lasts 60 days. 1-9 pups are born, blind at first and not opening until 8-10 days. They also wont emerge from the den until they are 3 weeks old, kept under surveillance while the rest of the pack provides food. Young jackal are then weaned at 8-9 weeks and begin hunting by 6 months. Pups quarrel more the older they get, the elder litter dispersing once they become yearlings.
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Diet |
Wata jackal are omniverous, taking part in scavenging, hunting and foraging. When hunting, common prey include invertebrates like Khepri Scarab and al-Mawt Scorpion, mammals like Qafz Jerboa, Sahra Hare and Raqs Gazelle at largest, reptiles like Mul'ataa Agama and Isk Viper, birds like the Marqat Sandgrouse, Ramil Lark and Impangele Hen and aquatic species found in coastal areas such as beached whales or mussels. Outside of hunting, wata jackal scavenge carrion and forages for eggs, fruit and lichen. Less favorably, wata jackal are known to target domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, pigs, goats, sheep and poultry! Simultaneously, they are far from an apex predator, sometimes falling prey to larger carnivores like wolves, badgers, Manid Hyena, leopards, ǁKo Wild Dog and eagles.
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