El Topopelo, Great Fur Moles of Mesetita

The act of artificially altering a species of organism through use of magic is not an uncommon practice for denizens of Az, with all three major sapient species making use of it for various purposes. However, the tale of the topopelos is perhaps the most eccentric utilization of this genetic tampering.  

Origin

The story behind the Topopelo is in of itself, a complex affair. The tale begins some centuries before the onset of the Enlightened Era, at the unassuming landmark of La Mesetita. A small tableland positioned between the great forests to the north of the Long Stretch and the arid realms of the Central Corridor, it is easy to overlook this area in favour of the more dynamic scenery that surrounds it. Yet it is here where the people of Mesetita town farmed sheep in great numbers, the steep slopes of the plateau proving ideal for this livestock. The people there had all that they needed, seldom engaging in the affairs of outsiders, who were just as dismissive of the farmers tucked away on their hillsides.   Unfortunately, this peaceful way of living would come to an end when large numbers of bandits came stemming from the northern territories, caused by several collapses of countries therein. By this time, the Mesetitanos had amassed a flock of ovines that had reached a size of fair renown, with traders from as far as the city of Cericon coming to barter for the quality animals they produced. Such livestock was a preferred target for those bandits, who regularly pilfered the animals, much to the dismay of farmers of Mesetita. This activity persisted for some years, with great scores of sheep being stolen per year, and any resistance against the thieves attempts often resulted in death for the town's farmers.   By the end of a decade, Mesetita's vast flock had been reduced to a few meager rams and an ewe, not enough to replenish the flock's numbers for many decades and certainly not enough to stave off the impending winter, which was guaranteed to bring famine with it. The townspeople were frantic, requesting aid from all of their past trade partners, but were met with apathy and silence. The Cericonian Dominion was many hundreds of kilometers away and the Mesetitanos were not official members of that power yet, despite sharing many cultural and linguistic similarities with the powerful state, so help would not arrive from there.  

The Plight

  Mesetita town was scoured by the fierce Winter that year, with hundreds perishing. Those who persevered were scarcely better off, and there was not a single person in the settlement who was not hungry. By the time the late Spring came, the people were at their limit, with the unexpected death of the sole ewe they had cementing their grim fate. Mesetita was doomed, the wealthy and poor citizens alike making their preparations to leave to anywhere that would take them. Those who were unwilling to abandon the town stayed, desperate to salvage the dire position they were faced with.   It is here where the wandering mage Polva comes into the picture. An eccentric nomad, this stout sorceress was infamous for her dusty apparel and proclivity towards the use of powders and elixirs around the greater countryside. Happening upon the destitute Mesetita, Polva was moved to aid the citizens in whatever way she could, though she was not particularly well versed in agricultural magic. Instead, the determined witch set about finding an alternate food source, some wild fowl or mountain goats that could substitute for mutton perhaps. But the land around the town was quite arid at this time of year, and any migratory animals that could serve as livestock would not be appearing for another few months at least.   What Polva did find was an unusual abundance of burrowing moles, plump little creatures that may serve as a good meal, but worthless for any long term feeding prospects. Polva then noticed that these particular specimens had a distinctively long coat, one which was surprisingly silky and soft when properly cleaned, pleasant enough that clothing incorporating the fur would be quite comfortable indeed. Once again however, there was simply too few moles to skin for a sustainable market to be profit from. Yet an idea had been sparked in the mage's mind.  

The Tampering

  Using the various concoctions and spells at her disposal, Polva began all manner of tinkering with the animals, trying to change the moles in a way that would guarantee the Mesetitano's survival through the next winter. She would first try rapidly enlarging the small mammals, which would unsurprisingly result in instant death in most cases. Trying a different approach, Polva would increase the size of a mole incrementally each day, which was far less likely to outright kill the animal, but even these individuals would die off after a week, unable to feed, breathe or burrow properly. After all, moles did not evolve to be so big.   Growing frustrated, the witch was against time, as the moles would begin the breeding season in a few weeks, and she would be unable to work any permanent change in animals for another year thereafter. Gambling on a final resort, Polva began focusing on the few moles that had survived a slight enlargement ritual, intending to manipulate the females into bearing larger offspring. Once the mage had completed her various experiments, the moles began to breed (though even this process had to be aided by Polva, as the moles were noted as being very distressed throughout their ordeal of gigantification). Once the matings were complete, it was then just a matter of waiting.   The moles bore their litters a little over a month later, plump and healthy little beasts. However, it was too soon to tell if any significant changes had been inherited from their parents, so Polva reassured the impatient Mesetitanos and told them to be patient. It would not take long for the young moles to grow and after two weeks the silky fur would already start to show. The pups began to grow quite quickly, surpassing the natural size of their specie less than two months later. A promising display, Polva was almost tempted to leave the town with a job well done, but she knew there was much to do before that could happen.  

The Refinement

  To start, these prototype specimens, while as large as small dogs, would not be enough to feed the town. Indeed, Polva had grander designs for her new passion project. The first step was enlisting more able mages to her cause, for she had exhausted much of her stock of magic in her relentless months of tinkering. Easier said than done, mages were scarce around this area, with the aforementioned instability and chaos to the north driving most skilled magicians farther afield. The Mesetitanos had few among their ranks who could even manifest the smallest of sparks, those who could were largely untrained and had no prior experience manipulating biological matter. All except one, a young woman who had served as the town's healer by name of Isobel Alamilla.   A relatively unimpressive mage in the grander scheme of the world, she was nevertheless a useful aid to Polva, able to learn the older woman's tricks and spells very quickly, helping to monitor and stabilize issues that arose in the moles. For the rest of the half-mages, Polva set them about on a very important task, procuring food for the new sheep substitutes. This took the form of gathering worms, maggots and other insects that the moles could eat, using what little magic they had to charm the invertebrates from the surrounding woods. An unpleasant task, which was unfortunately vital for the continued survival of the moles, since they had grown to such a size that they could not adequately feed themselves any more.   With this (un)merry band of helpers, the moles grew quickly under Polva's guidance, swelling past the size of a small child by the end of the Summer. This trend would continue all the way through the Autumn, when finally the Winter arrived and some of the giant moles were by then as large as sheep. The remaining Mesetitanos were still grim in their mood, for while they may be able to make it through the year with a combination of their crops and the mole's meat, they were still distrustful of the novel solution presented before them. Mages were notorious for taking advantage of people in those times (Some argue they still are), so such a cautious attitude was unsurprising.   Cementing herself as an staunch ally, Polva would show good faith by voluntarily taking the first mouthful of the Mesetitanos' new livestock. Tough and altogether not terribly pleasant, the mole meat was still perfectly serviceable, as concluded by the witch. Not wholly appeased, the townspeople were apprehensive about the gamy morsels presented to them, but they were forced by circumstance to partake in its consumption. A fair amount of people were quite sick after eating this meat, but miraculously not a single person died throughout that entire Winter period thereafter. Polva's experiments had succeeded.   Elated, the triumphant witch announced the second phase of her grand plan on the first day of the new year. She would not subject the population of Mesetita to another round of that nasty mole meat broth that they had suffered through. No, she was going to give the Mesetitanos one last gift, one which would not only remove the need for sheep's wool that the citizens were starting to have need of, but would also jettison their ravaged economy into the forefront of trade. Once the remaining moles that had been kept over from the last year were ready to breed, Polva began another round of genetic tampering, now helped along by Isobel.   This time, instead of aiming for an increase in body size, the two women started to work spells that would stimulate the growth of the moles already long velvety coats. The effect of this bout of meddling was immediately apparent in the next litters, with all the mole pups sporting fully developed coats that rivaled the previous generation's. A few weeks of growth would see these animal's coats grow even longer, stretching down past their feet. The best result the ladies could have wished for, and it was decided then and there, the name for this new breed of mole, "El Topopelo" or fur mole.   By the Summer, the coats had grown so thick that they had to be shorn off for the moles safety amidst the blistering heat. Polva had the few remaining weavers in the town take the fur for processing into clothing, which they did quickly despite the shift to a novel material. The resulting garments were thick and velvety, perhaps not quite as soft as wool, but they were tougher, and had a most marvelous texture.  

The Revival of Mesetita, to The Present Day

  From then on, the people of Mesetita were truly saved, receiving a modest supply of goats and sheep that year from previous trade partners who finally decided to send aid. With fresh vestments and food for the foreseeable future, Polva the witch considered her work done, setting off to resume her wandering while Isobel Alamilla took the reigns as the Topopelo's warden. The Mesetitanos would begin to offer their new style of clothing for trading several years after they began making it, for which they saw an explosion of success, stemming from the Topopelo fur's many unique qualities. Word would spread far of the Mesetitanos and the unique array of garments they now sported, and as the years bled on several important merchants offering lucrative deals would spread the avant-garde clothing further afield.   The few mages who were left to care for the Topopelos used the techniques left by Polva to make further adjustments to the Topopelos, improving their health, appearance and so on. After a century of tinkering, the ultimate mutation would be stumbled upon by the Mesetitanos, when they discovered how to to shift the colours of the Topopelo's coats. This development marked the beginning of an unprecedented upward spiral for Mesetita, with clothing now able to be dyed without the exorbitant cost associated with it. Naturally, rich monarchs and lords would congregate, desperate to acquire this product at a premium discount compared to its nearest competitors. Mesetita would begin a near three century long domination of the vestment market, wrenching itself past its former poverty and rapidly surpassing the wealth of major cities hundreds leagues away from it.   Amidst these revolutionary advances for Mesetita, Polva returned many decades later, now wizened and old. Seeking to live out her last days among finest fruits of her labour, Polva was welcomed with open arms by the few Mesetitanos that had learned under her. Setting up on a discreet edge of the town, Polva would lead a few more quiet years in obscurity, surrounded by her pupils and precious Topopelos, before passing away peacefully one Spring's day. A statue that commemorates Polva, La Madre de Los Topopelos, was erected in the central square of Mesetita, one which still stands to the current day.   At the onset of the Enlightened Era, Mesetita was a fully fledged city, having been inducted into the Cericonian Dominion as an official member and receiving the benefits that came with that status. Compromises had to be made for this arrangement, particularly the practice of La Atadura, or The Binding, a set of regulations that targets and represses individuals who can manifest magic. This had serious ramifications for the healers and mages charged with stewarding the Topopelos, since by law they could not work magic without a lengthy approval process by the capital city of Cericon. Realising what a blow this would deal to the city's financial footing, a council of governors and merchant princes convened with the goal of granting a special exception to magicians from Mesetita, stating that they could continue to work their spells on the giant moles, but the remainder of La Atadura and its tenants were to be followed. Meaning that the mages living in Mesetita were barred from extending their lifespan beyond two hundred years and had to be euthanized before they reached that age. Isobel Alamilla and a few other mages were well beyond this threshold at this point, but decided that they would commit joint suicide as a show of good faith, easing the displeasure many Mesetitanos had with joining the Cericé Dominion.   Now, while at this point in time the value of Topopelo fur had recessed substantially from its peak, it is still a valuable commodity that sells well. So while the Topopelos are no longer a vital economic resource for the Mesetitanos, they are still reared in fair quantities just to honour the role they had in making the city what it is today.  

Biology

  On the subject of the Topopelo's biology, the giant moles are among the first true breakthroughs with regards to Artificial Evolution Via Magic. Despite undergoing extensive mutative changes from their ancestor specie, a sufficiently staple genome and physical body allow these unnatural creatures to propagate as any other animal would, removing the need for constant genetic readjustments from the Mesetitan mages. Thus, these creatures exhibit a variety of behaviors and traits that correlate with their ancestors, including the proclivity for burrowing, insectivorous diet and living a largely solitary life.   Topopelos breed once a year, birthing litters that range from one to four pups. Males exhibit the greater average size, with certain stand-out specimens rivaling sheep in size. The average lifespan of a Topopelo is only around five years, though the Mesetitanos commonly make use of preservative magics, prolonging the lifespan of the most productive moles well beyond twice the expected age.  

Physiological Shortcomings

  Of course, the act of enlarging these animals far beyond what nature intended has several key impacts on their bodily functions. While the genetic material is miraculously stable, it is still important to note that Topopelo's as a whole are highly susceptible to contracting severe health disorders, chiefly cancerous growths that quickly become fatal. This susceptibility to sickness and tumors requires constant vigilance from the healers who are assigned to the Topopelos, and is the main threat towards the continued existence of the giant mole.   Furthermore, the great size increase presents an issue with regards to activity and feeding. By way of their increased mass and volume, Topopelos are at risk of overheating even after short burst of movement, with their bodies lacking the necessary coolant systems to combat the increased metabolism they exhibit. This necessitates full independence on the humans who created them, as the Topopelos cannot adequately feed themselves with this limitation. Often times Topopelos even need assistance with digging their own burrows, exhausting themselves before they can fully submerge under the ground.  

The Fur

  The most valuable aspect of the Topopelo for the Mesetitanos, the lush, velvety pelt that has been altered extensively by magic is the mole's defining characteristic besides their size. With the fur growing long past the eyes such that it drags along the ground, from afar a Topoelo could easily be mistaken for a large collie dog. An effective insulator, the fur of the Topopelo has served as a fine substitute for sheep wool in the harsh Winters of Mesatita, being shorn from the moles in the late Spring and growing back in time for the colder months. Topopelo fur is also a high tensile strength material, more resistant to wear and tear than sheep wool. These two factors drove the demand for Topopelo products in trade, though there is a third feature of Topopelo coats, which ensured that Mesetita would become an economic powerhouse.   When a Topopelo is first born, they can be fed various foods containing special chemical agents, which causes a minor change in their genetic expression. Certain chemicals will cause pigments to become heavily concentrated on the fur of the moles, resulting in a change of colour. A truly magical quality, this ability was introduced to the Topopelos a few decades after their initial creation, and has been refined and perfected since then. Now, the coloration of Topopelo fur ranges from the standard black or grey, to any number of fantastical colours; reds, whites, cream, navy, just to name a few. The process has become so precise that the Mesetitanos can create fur variations that extend beyond more than a single colour, such as gradients, poly-chromatic patterns and so on. It is easy to see why this biological quirk dominated the Long Stretch's upper-class clothing economy, as it saves on the costs of dyeing the fur after it has been processed.