Hukolgur

Disclaimer: The Hukolgur is a fictional animal from Keenan Taylor's Tales of Kaimere.

## Description

Hukolgur are the largest sloths on Kaimere. They are bulk feeders in every sense of the word, preferring a blend of grass, fruit, deciduous leaves, and meat. Unlike bear sloths, hukolgur cannot truly run, though they can still charge at twelve to fifteen miles per hour in short bursts. Walking on the side of their feet may look ill-suited to carrying their enormity, but it actually puts the weight through the leg and stacked foot bones very efficiently. They may have large arms and muscular chests, but the width of their hips and legs is such that even the largest boar can stand tall and walk without much trouble, though they rarely hold this stance for long. Hukolgur do possess hair, though it is so small and sparse that it must be examined closely to be seen, especially in their tropical and subtropical populations.

 Like other mylodonts, hukolgur sow live in small groups of related individuals, while the much more massive boar are solitary, often wandering far when in rut. The tunnels of hukolgur sow can carve thousands of feet into their highland homes. Hukolgur are masterful excavators, able to scoop a hundred pounds of soil with each motion of their arms. The tunnels often dip to accumulate water so the interior stays dry, but the rest will intertwine with their neighbors or just go straight back. Sometimes they take over and maintain a relative’s tunnel once she passes away, but often they will leave the tunnels in disarray. The deep-soil output of these tunnels, especially when mixed with their dung, makes for highly fertile soils around the dens which results in lush, grassy meadows surrounding the entrances. The hukolgur need some of this grass for a healthy diet, but it also supports many deer and other animals needing some grass in an otherwise gymnosperm-dominated habitat. The digging expertise of this sloth is reflected in the name of their genus: *Tectospelaea*, or 'cave maker'.

  The claws of hukolgur may be adapted for digging, but they are still formidable offensive weapons, and the strength in their chest and arms is staggering. They have been recorded to topple and kill drenduga, zentaur, and even subadult titanosaurs in a brawl. Like bear sloths, their tusks are enormous and self-sharpening. The osteoderms on their back and hips are not only large, up to six inches with smaller bones throughout as reinforcement, they are also set in thick hide. Though some zentaur specialize in hukolgur and can kill even the largest boar, using large claws to pierce the few weak points in hukolgur armor such as under the jaw and arm pits, for the most part these enormous sloths have little to fear, especially in the northern highlands forests where zentaur are less abundant yet their own favored food is more common.

A Hukolgur burrow- Keenan TaylorA Hukolgur peers out of its' cave- Keenan TaylorA Hukolgur Postures at a bull Zentaur- Keenan TaylorA Hukolgur attempts to scare off a Guardian of Ushalek far larger than itself- Keenan TaylorA hukolgur and qotaur, both monstrous bulls in their prime, clash in a testosterone-fueled rage. They don't fight to kill, but they fight often.- Keenan TaylorA comparison between the Arvelith and Pakardiant Hukolgur populations- J StockyIn a fit of rage, a hukolgur swings at a urumotu, a simiomorph sloth- Keenan Taylor
## Habitat

East Arvel, West Ni'Khar, The Free-States, Pakardia. It is assumed they reached Pakardia by island-hopping during the low sea levels at the end of the Anchored Period, though they can swim for several days without stopping, so it is entirely possible they made the voyage before, though a majority likely occurred 1.5 million years ago, especially as their food base was strained in the period. Ever since the First Children conquered the Qajarith Peninsula and rendered that population extinct, the Pakardiant and Arvelith hukolgur have been completely isolated. Pakardiant hukolgur tend to average a bit smaller, and have more fat and visible fur to insulate in this temperate climate. Overall they are still considered the same species, especially since Arvelith boar sometimes make the voyage and integrate without issue.

## Phylogeny

Hukolgur are descended from the excavator specialist relatives of Lestodon, a robust mylodont known from Earth’s Pliocene and Pleistocene. Their ancestors were harvested during the South American Harvest of 6mya.

## Ontogeny

Hukolgur cubs are cared for for the first 3 three years of their lives, in this time, they grow from about the size of a common pig, to about the size of a large stallion, they are much less robust than their adult counterparts, and have shorter, yet more maneuverable tails than adults. The torso is also quite compact in this stage of life, sexually dimorphic features appear later on in life.

## Sexual Dimorphism

  The greatest example of sexual dimorphism in sloths is in the largest sloth species: the hukolgur, in which sows weigh between four and six tons, and boar routinely double this mass. The biggest ever recorded by the Assembly was a boar estimated to weigh fourteen tons. Males also have greater countershading than females and a generally more robust build.

Males will often dig rudimentary burrows to laze the day away during the dry season, but once they begin bulking up for the rut, they will spend most of their time wandering and digging tunnels large enough simply isn’t worthwhile. They are partially driven by scent, seeking out females in their season, but they also emit infrasonic calls with the hopes that receptive sows will reply. Hukolgur pregnancy lasts a year and a half, and they often wait a year before mating again so their cub gets almost three years of attention, so there’s no guarantee that the wandering boar will meet eligible females even if he finds a den.

 If there’s another boar present, it may come to blows. Given their sheer enormity, alongside claws and tusks, a fight between hukolgur can easily be lethal for both. Because of this, there’s a lot more posturing and ritual to frighten away a lesser opponent than is reported in the much more violent common sloth. If they do collide, it will lay waste to the foliage and the loser will often sustain such injury that he will be an easy kill for the zentaur drawn to the sounds of conflict.

Two male Hukolgur Posture at eachother- J Stocky
## Human Relations

   Hukolgur have a reputation for belligerence and even homicidal tendencies, but this is largely due to the context of their interactions with kaimerans. Males especially require a tremendous amount of food, and settlements that do not take care to cover the scent of their gardens and pastures are a reliable lure to these behemoths. Any resistance will be met with halfhearted retaliation, but a halfhearted backhand from a hukolgur can easily kill a warhorse. If they are injured in efforts to chase them off, then a rampage can begin, and entire towns have been laid to ruin. Aggression from sows, which account for far more kaimeran fatalities, are driven by territorial protection of their tunnels, where their offspring are hidden. Carcasses claimed by a hukolgur are also viciously defended. There are also cases of both sexes being startled, and since they cannot reliably run away, fighting is often their only recourse. All this to say: while common sloths earned their malicious reputation, well known to go man-eater or kill for the sake of it, hukolgur are much less aggressive, though their attacks are far more devastating. An angry common sloth can rip open a man’s chest or tear off a door. A rampaging hukolgur can destroy the walls surrounding a town and plow through half the village storehouse, making them a threat to the entire settlement.

  Before the arrival of the First Children, hukolgur ranged from northern Arvel, Qajar, and down to Pakardia.

Hukolgur were quite a favorite subject for the First Children, in their earlier days, using mind controlling Magic, they enslaved hundreds if not thousands of these behemoths into digging an intricate and immense subterranean society. As the First Children grew in power, they expanded from Pakardia to Qajar, where they culled all megafauna, including Hukolgur of the region. Hukolgur were also used in many Homunculi, most numerous and successful being the forest Ogres which now reside in Arvel.

A raiding Hukolgur enjoys his third barrel of alcohol- Keenan TaylorAlthough she is an accomplished warrior, Emahari knows she cannot survive an attack from a dozen Klaeg and their demonic commander. Like any good trickster, she leads them to someone more than capable: a hukolgur sloth who does NOT appreciate being awakened from his nap.- Keenan TaylorAn Ogre is caught in the den of a Hukolgur family- J Stocky

## Redesigns

The Hukolgur has had 2 redesigns. Its original design was reminiscent of megatheres instead of mylodonts - at the time, Hukolgur were depicted as descendants of *Promegatherium*. In the second iteration of the design, it was given a bulkier shape, with large exposed osteoderms, and was now mylodont descended from lestodontid sloths. Another slight alteration to the design was eventually put in place that toned down the osteoderms, with most being beneath the skin and smaller than the previous designs osteoderms.

Original design of the Hukolgur- Keenan Taylor(arguably) 2nd redesign of Hukolgur- Keenan Taylor