Plateau Cattle

  The Plateau Cattle is a bovine species native to the desolate and frigid heights of the Plateau of Athe. Notable for their long, white fur, flexible thin tongues, and their smaller stature in relation to other forms of cattle, these hardy creatures roam the rocky plateau, seeking out rare patches of vegetation and using their long tongues to scoop up various insects from deep cracks within the stoney terrain. As agriculture is essentially impossible in the region, its inhabitants have grown to rely heavily on the plateau cattle as a local source of meat, milk, and warm clothing material.  

Origins

Bred to survive in cold and harsh environments, the precursors of the plateau cattle are believed to have been introduced into the world a few centuries prior to the Explosion at Athe, a cataclysmic event that transformed their native land into the sharp plateau that it is today. The violent shattering of the mountains had nearly resulted in their absolute extinction, but with the newfound importance of Athe as a holy city for Hillenēq Hūril and the influx pilgrims that travelled to the region, clerics of the Alstiseriaic of Athe saw value in the animals as a vital source of food and fur, managing to prevent their demise.   Over the centuries, the animals have learned and evolved to adapt to their new surroundings, seeking out food from sources previously inaccessible with their long and flexible tongues that can reach deep within the cracks in the ground. Some of these cracks are also a source of warmth due to geothermal activity, meaning that they’re both easy to find, as the snow around the crack is melted, and that’re filled with all manner of various insects, making them the perfect targets for hungry cattle.  

Essential Livestock

Herds of plateau cattle are carefully managed by herders who ensure the stability of their population in the Plateau of Athe. With how difficult it is to find reliable sources of food, the animals are allowed to roam in relative freedom, ensuring that they can cover as much land as possible in search of sustenance. The herders then track the cattle on horseback, usually with the help of dogs who can independently keep an eye out on them and fetch the herders once enough time has passed.