Stalfolos

## Overview

**Stahlfolos** (Stŏl-fō-lōs) are a small group of semi-intelligent, non-humanoid bipeds that typically travel in herds and graze on fruits and berries. They have minor culture and have been known to steal or salvage clothing left around in the wake of battles or mass death. Attributed to the symbol of death, these creatures have a human-like face with a flatter nose and usually buck teeth, they live in the redwood and pine forests of Julkriist and Fahloc Nor, generally living in large, permanent warrens underground. Using their antlers for defense, their cave networks have been known to spiderweb through areas as large as five miles. They have a soft, hairlike pelt that covers their head, neck, back, torso, upper arms, groin, and outer thighs. Its face, ears, forearms, hands, fingers, stomach, inner thighs, legs, and hooves are covered in soft, short fur that seldom grows longer than a few millimeters.

## Culture

Traveling in herds of around 35-75, these creatures typically forage for fruits and vegetables, known to occasionally re-seed and even bring water to plants during a drought. They make their homes under massive redwood or pine trees, undermining the tree without uprooting it and spreading hundreds of caves out in all directions for anywhere between a couple of dozen meters to several miles in rarer cases. They communally raise their young with certain females designated to full-time care, and the others joining in the daily routines of harvesting and maintaining the wild crops that grow around them. They are often hunted by Leapers, which has influenced their horns development significantly. They will run at the sight of humanoids but have been known to interact with them very peacefully, deliberately ignoring crops grown by humans. Some humans have been known to keep these creatures in barns as an impromptu workforce, but larger farms will typically use other creatures to maintain their fields. If cornered, they will try and jump into a tree or up a cliff, it's incredibly rare that they will attack another creature, other than males fighting during fall rutting seasons. They have small, tufted tails that are covered in long fur that is used by females to attract a male, as the ratio of males born to females is around 1/3. Males will typically spend 80% of their time gathering and maintaining crops, scouting for new sources of food, building the warrens or anything else needed by the herd. In times of conflict or after an accident, the creatures will seek out the wreckage and take items left behind including small trinkets, any article of cloth or clothing, gold coins, jewelry, small, shiny, metallic items and anything else that catches their eyes. It is theorized that the reason they expand their warrens only to expand the hoard of items they can scavenge.

## Physiology

Typically weighing within 40-80lbs, Stahlfolos are usually bipedal but will move around on all fours to run or climb. While bipedal, they are usually under three and a half feet tall but have been known to grow as tall as four feet. They have four long and slender fingers with sharp claws on the ends and articulating thumbs, their hand-eye coordination is exceptional and they are capable of learning and writing written languages. Their hooves and ears resemble those of a stag or cow, possessing the same level of hearing as other herbivores, moderately more sensitive than humans. They are very sensitive to rain and the weather patterns of Viridia, often humans used these to predict foul weather, as the Stahlfolos would retreat to the shelter of their warrens and pack dirt and dry grass against the entrances. In the tundras and places where snowfall happens, the Stahlfolos let out a chirping, high-pitch whine before heading into their warrens. The hair and fur on their bodies can vary widely in their colors and shape, some known to have curlier, straighter or strangely colored hair. The fur will typically remain the same over different species but has been known to generally be lighter in tone than the hair. Their hooves can be made to have shoes, but the Stahlfolos generally dislike having them and because of their small size, don't typically need them. Both males and females grow horns, with the female of the species having slightly shorter and thinner horns, though they do not develop them until adolescence, usually around their fourth or fifth year.

## Reproductive Cycle

Females produce anywhere from 1-5 foals, gestating for a period of four months and will almost never give birth outside their warrens. It is extremely difficult to get wild females to mate and reproduce successfully outside of the wild, but a few farmers and ranchers have been able to. The babies will be raised communally, with every female swapping shifts in complicated and meticulously maintained queues so that all females get time to rest and maintain themselves. Females produce nutrient-rich milk from small glands on their chest and will continue to produce it all year round until they're around 14 years old, then they will typically only serve the same roles as males, with the added responsibility of caring for foals. Once the foals reach around age four, they will be weaned off of the milk and onto a diet of fruits and vegetables, also beginning to take on their respective gender roles within the herd and will become able to mate at this time.

### Birth

Stahlfolos are born in groups of 1-5, the mother usually producing an average of 3 offspring per reproduction cycle, which is once per 6 months, as they are able to begin reproducing from the moment they have given birth. The foals will be born without fur or hair and are around the size of grapefruits, only weighing about two pounds. They will cling to the mother's fur and will stay there for a little under a week. When they are developed enough, they will gradually drop to the ground and become able to walk around on all fours, giving out cries when hungry.

### Infancy

Their infancy will range from a month to 90 days, depending on their level of nourishment. In this stage, they will not leave the warren, interacting with the other foals from the other mothers and learning the basics of warren upkeep as they watch the other Stahlfolos. It's very likely this is the stage at which they are given names by their parents, learn to communicate and develop their social skills.

### Adolescence

During adolescence, which will last until the Stahlfolos turns four, an instance of the creature keeping track of time and aware of past and ability to anticipate the future, the foals will venture out of the warren to gather food and typically follow an elder of the same gender. In established herds, this duty falls to the eldest of the males and females.

## Bonding

This animal is difficult to bond with, as it tends to avoid humanoids in general, but has been known to be kept as both a utility animal and companion, being particularly adept at finding food in the wild with its exceptional eyesight and sense of smell. It's also been known to wear small packs and carry items when bonded, copying its humanoid companion. If a male and female are successfully bonded, mated and then continued to produce offspring, it is possible to begin an artificial warren, though only a few instances of this have occurred and are not typical.