Thaga
| Thaga thay-gah pl. thagas | |
|---|---|
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| Fact File | |
| Classification: | Mammalian |
| Frequency: | Uncommon |
| Size: | Medium |
| Lifespan: | 15 - 20 years |
| Domesticated?: | Yes |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Biome(s): | Grassland, Savanna, Tropical Rainforest |
Appearance
Thagas are built for speed and protection. Their entire look is sleek with long graceful legs and body, an angular arrow-shaped head with a slightly rounded muzzle holds a top and bottom row of teeth housing long, vicious canines in the front, and grinding molars in the back. Their almond shaped eyes face forward, signaling their prowess as a hunter. Their pupils are slitted — waning and waxing in symphony with the amount of light available to them — giving them optimal vision: they can see equally well on the brightest time of day as on a moonless night. Thick, curled ram horns beginning atop their heads and curving around under their jaw, the points splayed outward. These horns protect their jugular from many attacks, though another skilled Thaga may be able to bite another Thaga's neck due to their pointed muzzles sliding between horn and skin. Their neck is muscular, thick enough to hold up their head laden with horns, and to protect their spine when they use their solid skulls to bash into each other or their prey.
They have three toes on their back feet, and four toes (one prehensile dew claw) on their front feet. Their front paws are very flexible, though the talons on their digits are not retractable. Their tail is muscular, though not terribly thick. Tipped on the end of their tail is a long clean blade — the last digit of their spine, their tail, having grown long and sharp, and void of any of the coarse fur that covers the rest of the animals' body. Atop each shoulder blade, too, grows long extensions of their shoulder blade, sharp on both edges and honed to a point by their DNA. Thaga skeletons are rather sturdy, the bones being more solid than many other animals.
It is incredibly difficult to break their shoulder and tail blades, and their horns, along with any other bone in their body for that matter, but not impossible. Males and females are equally likely to have their blades broken through fighting with each other, more so than with prey or competing predators. Having a broken shoulder blade or tail blade doesn't necessarily mean death in the animal kingdom, but it might spell an end to their reproductive days if they aren't fierce enough to humble the competition.
Social Life
They live in small packs, numbers not exceeding more than ten adults, the average being only five. They work both together and alone, spending time away from their pack to hunt when it pleases them, but stoically defending their family members from other packs or large predators whenever threatened. If you turn on one, the others will not be far behind to assist their pack member. They hunt together when chasing after big game, and often hunt alone when finding small game. In the rare times when big game food is scarce the pack will likely split up to hunt small game on their own, though they will always stay in vocal communication. Howls, roars, barks, yips, and a variation of whuffing noises are all in their vocal arsenal.
Reproduction
In the wild, Thagas mate during Tessera. Mating matches are often violent, though it'd rare that any are killed. Both males and females fight, but their only fight their own sex. Females fight among themselves for dominance, and males do likewise. The top dominant pairs will mate and hopefully produce pups in the spring. These strongest pass on their genes to the next generation, breeding equally strong-willed Thagas. (Copulation is when they display their rare bit of serenity — if you're nasty and harsh about the act, the male could easily be cut to ribbons by the female's splayed shoulder blades. Therefore both are calm and careful about the entire ordeal.)
In the spring the pack gathers around the pregnant female (or females) to stand guard while the female births live young, usually in small numbers. Litters are generally two to six in number. In the wild, more pups would not survive. The female usually tries to find a secluded spot once the time comes, but if a cave is not available, a hollow dug at the foot of a tree will be well enough. The females (if more than one) who birthed the pups work together to raise their young, suckling each other's pups when the other has gone off to feed. They earned the right to be dominant the previous autumn, now is the time to ensure the species survival.
Pups are born helpless: bladeless and hornless, with their paw talons small and blunt. Their strong canines will not be in for near a season, and instead they have milk teeth. Their eyes are closed, but will open in less than half a season. After one season, their eyes will have opened, their talons, horns, blades and adult teeth will be beginning to grow, and they will soon be capable of defending themselves. They will have tripled in size from their small infant stature — only a pound or so, being able to fit in two adult 'dragon hands, to up to their parents' knees. Their legs and bodies will be chubby until the end of their second season. Then they will be gangly, and nearly as tall as their parents. Capable of hunting alongside the rest of the pack, and often utilized this way - the adults training their children for life on their own and in their own packs.
The entire pack raises the pups to maturity. All surviving pups are scared off by the pack after they are mid to late teens, to form their own packs, and keep from inbreeding. The now year old thagas generally run with their siblings and cousins until they are two years old, and then, being fully muscles and fully grown, either join another pack or create their own. The young will battle for ranks and for dominance, and if fierce enough and tactically smart enough, could theoretically begin leading a pack of their own and breeding after their second year. Few accomplish this goal, and often don't begin breeding until three or even four, if at all.
The old Thagas are often left behind by pack members once they cease their usability in the pack, and fend for themselves until their natural death, or in the case of injury or feebleness, starvation.
Thagas as Pets
To Pendragons, it would seem that these highly aggressive animals would be of no use, but on the contrary, they make excellent protectors and guard animals. If you can find one young enough, or breed them young enough, you can raise the pups as your family, and they will protect you, as they would expect you to protect them. They are loyal creatures, and highly obedient if you can prove your dominance. In a pup this is easy to do, most Thaga pups would never dream of challenging their parents for dominance, and instead obey them entirely. If you have captured an adult, you have a much steeper hill to climb, and hopefully you know how to fight. (Or have an exceptionally good necromancer on your staff...)
