Witherbeast

Believed to be a relative of the cow & bull, witherbeasts are large herbivores only found in the scorched fields of the Waugmala Region. Due to the extreme heat found even at this lower level of the Region, a witherbeast's hide is dry, cracked and peeling, hence the name; Witherbeast. Despite these harsh conditions, this sturdy animal remains unbothered. Looking at their heads, witherbeasts have impressive horns jutting out from the sides of their forehead and curving downward only to extend horizontally just above and behind their pointed ears. Their eyes are found near level with their ears though they are found on the front of their visage. Moving down to the nose and mouth, the witherbeast's becomes narrower from the cheeks to the rounded point of the nose. The mouth can open to an impressive degree revealing rows of massive blunt teeth. The witherbeast's head is quite low to the ground especially when compared to the height of its humped back. Similarly,the rear of the animal drops low ending in a thin tail tipped with fine strands of hair/fur. Finally, the legs and feet are short, stubby and thick with muscles. The base of their feet are akin to hooves segmented in three parts closer to individual toes which help them traverse the murky soil of the scorched fields where they live.

The most widely accepted theory is that these animals are mammals, however, no one has volunteered to stick around long enough to confirm or deny this point thanks to the unpleasantness of the environment and its blistering atmosphere.

Witherbeast infants (a Calf or many Calves) have been observed among the adults. They have displayed high levels of curiosity and will approach nearly anything new with little hesitation. Whenever this happens, what can only be the mother will never leave the young one out of its sight.

Witherbeasts are only found in the scorched fields of the Waugmala Region where they feast on the dried reddened grass and what little vegetation grows in the area. They form a strange relationship with their environment where the dry peeling skin is pecked by many different types of birds for food and whatever parts fall to the ground has been discovered to feed the soil. Additionally, the witherbeast does not seem to have any natural predators. That being said, the occasional remains of a downed witherbeast will be found partially chewed or with missing organs. It is thought that wolves or monsters from Cootkatou may occasionally raid the scorched fields when desperate for food.

Somehow, these huge animals are capable of sustaining themselves in one of the most arid parts of the known world. They make the best of what limited plant-matter there is in the scorched fields by consuming every little part of the flora down to the soil covered roots.

Witherbeasts live in groups of 6 to 9 called a herd. No group seems to follow any sort of leader figure. Instead, a herd is driven by their appetite. Should two herds meet, they will simply share the turf and eventually go their separate ways. These times are perfect for a Mister and Misses witherbeast to form a family.

Years ago, Humans have attempted to domesticate the witherbeasts thinking they may prove useful due to their resolve and strength. Unfortunately, witherbeasts were discovered to be incredibly stubborn (not to mention heavy) and for the poor few that were taken out of their homes, the change in atmosphere must have been too much for the animals and they all perished soon after. Since then, the witherbeasts have been left alone.

In a pinch, the witherbeast's skin is edible and will offer some nutritional benefits. However, be warned that without any preparations, the flavor is compared to that of a dust and sand. Otherwise, killing an adult witherbeast will provide a generous amount of meat. Just remember that similarly to its skin, the meat dries much quicker than any, if not all, other types of meat.

Found exclusively in the scorched fields of the Waugmala Region.

Small birds of all kinds are often found around a herd of witherbeasts either on their backs or simply lying about. The birds peck at the skin of the witherbeasts cleaning their hides while the pieces of skin serves as nourishment to the birds.