On the Rhaedorn

(Pages 12-13, from Chapter 1- Ferocious mammals)

The Rhaedorn

Classifying this particular mammal as ‘ferocious’ is a bit of an exaggeration, as rhaedorns are very docile in manner, and appear totally harmless. They are furry animals with four short legs, sleepy-looking faces, and high sloped backs that reach about as tall as an adult human’s knee. They are herbivores that feed on fermented and partially decomposed plant matter. They are found most often in the spring, right after their young are born and the snow has all but melted, usually seen in forests digging up the leaves that had fallen the previous autumn and sat under the snow all winter. The reason why they are included here is their unique defence mechanism against predators.

When threatened, rhaedorns split themselves open and turn partially inside out, exposing their innards and releasing a massive cloud of extremely foul-smelling bile mist. The bile mist is repugnant and noxious, and very effective at warding away predators. Getting sprayed by a rhaedorn isn’t fatal, but the smell alone can make a person very ill, especially if the bile mist is inhaled. The sight of the inside out creature is also quite nauseating to most. Rheadorns are able to do this because they have two spines instead of the mammal’s typical one, which interlock in a way like slotting your fingers together. They have specific strong muscles which contract and relax to pull the two spines apart and then back together again, and the seam is disguised and protected by the thick fur on its back.

It is best to hunt these animals from a distance with a bow, or by setting traps, to avoid getting caught in the bile mist cloud. Not only is it unpleasant in the moment, but the stench is also very hard to wash out of one’s clothes and hair.

Suggested uses for various components of the rhaedorn

The inner fluids of rhaedorns which comprise its stench mist can be used in mixtures to induce vomiting, which are helpful if someone has ingested something toxic that needs to be expelled. It works best if you also include the fat of the animal’s body. There are many different ways of mixing and preparing vomiting agents, but this is my preferred option, since most common methods of inducing vomiting involve small doses of real poison, and these rhaedorn elements aren’t fatal even if one were to measure the dosage incorrectly. Recipe below.

Rhaedorn bones are as good as any smaller mammal bones for utensils and small tools. In particular they make good small splints and scrapers. The spines, of course, are entirely unique and I find their interlocking design extremely fascinating. If you sew them in correctly, you can use them as closures on tents or bags, or you can use them to hold things together if you keep the ends connected and close the rest around something.

Once the main stench elements have been extracted, you can harvest the inner organs of the rhaedorn. Clean, cut away ligaments and massage salt into them, then dehydrate them over the course of several days until they are completely dried out, and should be hard and leathery to the touch. Place in vessel with shredded stems of pixie hair and heat until the organs begin to ‘sweat’ oils. Making sure to collect as much of the released oils as possible, tightly pack the organs, pixie hair shreds, and tawny mona salts into a jar, without any air pockets. Seal and let sit for at least three months. Then, the mix can be used for rubbing salves which relieve stiff and swollen joints of the hands.

Ingredients:

• Rheadorn stomach acid,
• Bile fluid,
• White Organ mucus,
• Urine.
• 1 cup fish vinegar
• 3 spoons liquid essence of hag’s needles
• 1 handful black peppercorns
• Approx 1 bucket water

Collect the stomach acid, the bile fluid from the fluid sac and inner vents, the white organ mucus, and the urine. Remove white fat and boil in about half as much water, stirring until the fat is liquified. Over lower heat, add the rest of the fluids, a cup of fish vinegar, a few spoons of liquid essence of hag’s needles. Add water until the mixture is thin, and put a handful of black peppercorns in a tea bag and place the bag in the mixture to steep and stir for about fifteen minutes. Once cooled, this concoction can be stored in any kind of fluid container at room temperature, though I advise against letting it get very hot, as it smells absolutely vile.

Do not store near your food, it will kill your appetite.