Wide-spread success is built on a sturdy model, a reliant tenet Boulderhorns express to its fullest extent. These Horned Koposerans are well-suited to the challenges of the westerlands, with shaggy fur and thick-set muscles. They can survive in both arid and chilling environments without issue, which has led people to use their breathable fur in a variety of garments. To traverse their vast ranges, they use a pair of muscular legs, allowing them not only to move quickly (38 mph) but also to jump or scale surfaces. Sometimes these beasts are most at home whilst precariously feeding on the side of a cliff: in this respect, they’re aided by a long tail that serves to counterbalance their heft and keep them from teetering over.
Although flight is always an option for Boulderhorn, they rarely feel the need to use it. Instead, they favor a more belligerent solution to almost any problem: with a pair of bony horns and a keratinous “helmet” to shield the top of the head, they plow straight through their foes. A successful charge can smash through wooden arrangements, leaving naught but splinters and chunks in their wake. To make this possible, their horns are extraordinarily durable — taking three (3) hits to break — making counterattack difficult. If they are, however, broken, a grave error has been made, as it can take months for them to redevelop, not to mention the pain the beast shall assuredly feel. The beast's horns grow constantly and must be worn down by use, with some taking to shaping them into elaborate living sculptures.
Type: Creature
Life expectancy: 22 years
Height: 4'5"—4'8" ft. [1,34—1,41 m.]
· Length: 6'5"—7'2" ft. [1,95—2,18 m.]
Weight: 600—750 lbs. [272—340 kg.]
Biome(s): Multi-regional (evergreens, mountains, snow peaks...)
Tameable: Yes
In the wild, they live in small families, perhaps six to ten strong. They lack a sense of hierarchy but do typically respect monogamous pairs. Herds are rarely bound to specific regions, moving frequently with the changing seasons; in the face of a changing climate, they have reportedly shed or rapidly grown excess fur as they acclimate to a new area. Calves, of whom a mother typically has but one or two, are raised together, with each parent teaching in either defense or foraging. Fights over food or small territories are frequent but seldom fatal.
The majority of Boulderhorn have long since been domesticated. The species lives alongside man as a mount second only to the horse. As they’re more accustomed to violence, they need significantly less conditioning to fight, only needing training to know when to stop. A poorly trained beast may just as easily turn around and bash their own allies as they would the enemies before them. In this respect, color-coding and pattern recognition are employed to prevent them from obliterating those beneath their own banner.
Boulderhorns have been in use by native Kelevans since before the arrival of horses, but are perhaps most famous for their employment by House Yarl. Whatever horses can’t surpass or break, Yarlriders smash right through. In recent years, they’ve been employed in devastating cavalry charges to great fame and acclaim. These stories have attracted brigands who use the landscapes’ rocky terrain to harry caravans, wherever a perilous drop backs their demands. These “Roughhorns”, as they’ve come to be called, remain a frequent thorn in the side of local state militias.