“All the caution of a Rhinock”
Common Svertan saying
Also Known as: Rhinock, Sarviku, Terum
Habitat: Savannah, Plains, Forest, Riverine
Hazard Level: High
Summary
An ill-tempered and massive ungulate, covered in thick hide and bearing a pair of massive and rock solid horns it uses to pummel targets. Rhinock can grow from 4 to 6 meters in length, 2-3 meters tall at the shoulder, and can weigh as much as 3,000 kg. A herbivorous grazer found in pockets across the continent, the Rhinock has few natural predators. They are territorial and will charge anything that threatens or approaches the herd. A Rhinock charge can topple a building or destroy a caravan as the beasts are heedless of obstacles. The species has proven impossible to domesticate. Coloration varies between a thick grey and black hide for southern Rhinock and a woolly grey or brown pelt for northern specimens. Rhinock lifespans are between 50 and 75 years
Description
Rhinock are massive and simple, seemingly heedless of most external stimuli with the exception of food, water, and mudbaths. Few predators are powerful enough to bring down a single Rhinock, let alone the crashes the species sometimes form. The species ingests incredible amounts of foliage and grass and competes with other mega-herbivores for territory. Human hunting of Rhinock is uncommon but not unheard of. The danger is considerable but Rhinock hides and horns are highly valued in many areas. Most communities encountering a Rhinock or crash of Rhinock choose to redirect rather than hunt the species. It’s generally considered safer to tempt the species away from farmers fields than risk wounding one and causing it to level the farm.
Female Rhinock bond closely with their calves. Indeed crashes (the term for a Rhinock herd) tend to composed entirely of females and calves.
Rhinock produce a loud bellow or growl when threatened but generally communicate with grunts and snorts.
The only known predators that hunt Rhinock are Faeles Thule and Ursu. Most other predators prefer easier prey, but a dead Rhinock can provide enough food for an Ursu to mitigate the risks.
Variations
The two sub-species of Rhinock are:
Northern Rhinock
Also known as the Wooly Rhinock, this hairier sub-species is much more solitary than their Southern cousins, gathering only to breed. It is also the taller, faster, and less aggressive form of the species, though certainly still quite dangerous.
Southern Rhinock
Also known as the Grey Rhinock, this species lacks the thick pelt of their northern cousins and instead bears hair only on their tails and ears. The rest of the creature is a thick grey hide covered in hardened nodules. Southern Rhinock are slightly smaller and slightly more prone to forming crashes of 7-12.