Cimmathrax

The Cimmathrax is a cousin to the Granthrax, but not nearly as old as other species. In fact, it’s rumored that the first Cimmathrax was a product of human meddling with breeding an extinct species and the granthrax. While this may or maynot be true, this species is one of the few in Arilyan that’s considered almost a strict herbivore. A herd based species that prefers plains and grasslands, they’re intelligent, playful and curious, much like a horse, however they do have aggressive tendencies to look out for.

Because these creatures are VERY dependent on their herds and family packs, much of who they are as a species can be found in the “Packs” section.

The Cimmathrax is the only species in Arilyan who openly lives and works with humans. Other species claim it’s because of their ancestors’ relationship with them, or maybe it’s just because they’re just more tolerant of other creatures, but regardless, packs will occasionally build bonds with local humans, and will even go as far as to let them ride them. While they’re not tameable, as they’re too intelligent to be pets, they do enjoy the work that goes along with helping human tribes. Males will even let a select human ride them into battle with other humans, should their bond be strong enough. (This does NOT change that humans are NPCs at this time. Should we lift the NPC status, we’ll make an announcement <3)

## Climate

* Most often found on large plains, savannahs and meadows. Some of the more fluffier of the Cimmathrax can live in the mountains, however they’re not as sure footed on rocks and snow as they are on hard earth.
* They love to frolic and splash around in the rivers and lakes, so it’s not unusual for packs of them to settle at the mouth of rivers, near the ocean, or by lakes.
* Extremely rare for them to be found in the jungle. Because they require lots of open land, they tend to avoid heavily wooded areas, especially the jungle.

## Temperament

Curious with a deep love of family, the Cimmathrax is a playful species that has an average intelligence, and is extremely social. While they’re considered fairly laid back, and extremely loving and gentle with most creatures, they are also extremely territorial and protective over that which they considered theirs. It’s not uncommon for Cimmathraxes to be very possessive in certain aspects of their lives, and rivalries can form, from siblings fighting over attention from a parent, to males fighting over the attention of females.

## Lifespan

90-100 years. Due to being a cousin to the thrax, their lifespan is longer than the average Arilyan creature.

## Other Random Facts

* They very rarely eat meat, and tend to stick to fruits plants and other vegetation. Almost exclusively herbivores, they will eat meat occasionally, but it’s not a regular part of their diet.
* The term pack and herd can be interchangeable with this species, as the same with foals and cubs.
* Because both panthrows and male cimmathraxes are both aggressive, it’s not uncommon for these two species to clash. That being said, sometimes a more friendly brotherly bond breaks out between panthrow males and cimmathrax males. They will fight one another to test one another’s strength without killing one another, and while the panthrow male won’t be allowed to mingle with the females, it’s not uncommon for a female to go out and mate with a panthrow who’s friendly with their pack.
* If a male is extremely poor at doing his job of protecting the pack, the females will gang up on him and chase him out of the territory, and will accept whichever male comes along and finds them leaderless.
* While living in a herd is their natural instinct, it’s not uncommon to find a male and female living together without a pack. Being a spiritual creature, they put a heavy emphasis on soul mates, and encourage one another to track down the creature that they’re supposed to feel completed around. When a sole mated pair finds one another, they go off to start a family of their own, living together to raise young. When those young are old enough they will leave them to fend for themselves if male, or if female will seek out a pack to join, or find a male of her own.
* Occasionally, in a soul mated pair, if they have a female, she’ll stay with her parents to help raise her siblings, as part of her herding instincts, however once she feels the natural urges to procreate she will leave.

## In Packs

Packs/herds usually consist of four to twenty members, with only one male keeping the herd safe. They live on the outside of the pack, and will mate with multiple females, however it’s expected for some females to go out and find a new male, and come back with “foals”. This is seen as creating a more diverse bloodline in family packs, and helps prevent inbreeding.

Within the family group, everyone works together, and generally the females are known as being extremely kind to other species. It’s very rare for a female Cimmathrax to be aggressive towards strangers, with the exception of when she has a foal to protect.

That being said, males are extremely territorial and aggressive when it comes to protecting their family. While they’re loving towards the females and cubs in their herd, they won’t tolerate rogue males of any species lingering in their territory.

Cubs in the pack structure does vary depending on the gender of the individual. Males leave herds between the ages of 2 and 3, as the male will chase them off, even if it’s their own son. They will generally wander alone, find a pack to take over, make their own family pack, or they’ll join a herd of bachelors, usually their brothers, or male friends.

If a male finds a pack they believe they can take over, they will fight for the right to lead that pack. These fights often end with both males getting massive scars, due to the horns and fangs that Cimmathrax have. The more scars, the more likely that male has fought for and to keep his pack, the less likely other males are to challenge them. A male with no scars is worrisome for females, and they’d prefer to have a well aged male in charge of their safety.

Females almost always stay with the pack they’re born in, or go off to find their soulmate. If they don’t find this male, they’ll return back home. That being said, around the age of 3, a female will go off on her own to procreate with another male, and return home once she’s sure she’s pregnant. This is very encouraged, and it’s almost unheard of for a female not to return, unless she’s found her soulmate. If she winds up stuck in another pack with a male that won’t let her leave, the females of that pack will attack their own leader as this is seen as violating the sanctity of family bonds.