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Um’naisi
- "“Do not get stuck on the rigid mountainside while facing this animal. You are bound to fall first.”"
- ―Lyssabelle - Jedi of the Kamuekiko Research Group
An animal found native only to these snowy mountains on New Tython, the Um’naisi is said to own the rocky and rigid lands. With the ability to move around the mountains with ease, this creature is detrimental to the lives of the Harakoan living in the chilly southern mountains of Kamuekiko.
History
Only recorded within the last decade by a small group of Jedi seeking to record everything on the continent, these animals were mostly unknown by those outside of the native settlements. Their elusive nature and ability to quickly get away from any other life forms on the mountains made them difficult to capture, but according to recorded history, these animals were the first domesticated creature of the area.
Um’naisi have long been used for food, clothing and their ability to climb mountains. The natives are known to use the Um’naisi as pack animals and animals for travel through the rocky landscape, the Um’naisi’s ability to find the safer of areas on the rocks leading to less injuries and deaths of natives over the years. Having been domesticated for hundreds of years, the Um’naisi have started to genetically adapt to the needs of the Harakoan that keep them as livestock, becoming slight variants to their originals still found in the wild today.
Appearance
Despite their size, Um’naisi are considered small livestock animals in comparison to other recorded animals used for livestock on the other parts of New Tython. Bucks and does are considerably different sizes, the males being the larger of the two. Males average around 1 meter at the shoulders and weigh between 80 and 150 kg while females on average around ¾ of a meter at the shoulders and weigh between 30 and 100 kg. Both genders have horns and beards, males having longer beards and an extra set of curled horns which are used to show gender differentiation and are also used in fights consisting of two bucks headbutting one another in a show of dominance, to fight over potential mates or for leadership of the pack.
The Um’naisi are bulky animals, their legs in particular powerful from climbing. The rest of their body and muscle is more on the bulky side due to their habitat, making them look larger than first thought. Due to the climate, their muzzles are shorter and their ears are smaller to keep in body heat. The Um’naisi’s nostrils are also small for the same heat retaining reasons. At the animal’s feet are cloven hooves which offer easier maneuvering on rocks and better grip on the icy terrain. They also allow for steeper climbs. Thick white wool makes up the Um’naisi’s coat, though with the more domesticated Um’naisi, some brown fur patches have started to show up on their faces and ears. Due to the shape of their pupils and pale eye colours, Um’naisi have the ability to see at at 320 degree angle with no frontal blind spots.
Wildlife
Um’naisi are known to travel between the mountains and scarce valleys in search of food, their patterns closely watched by the Harakoans. This is due to the ease of hunting the animal while they are down feeding on various plants, not allowing the Um’naisi to have the advantage of the rocky hills.
The animal travels in herds of around 50 Um’naisi, though some younger males are known to be seen traveling alone. These males tend to be without herds, either trying to get back into one or try and attempt at creating his own. Mating season for both the wild and captive Um’naisi is in the spring, does averaging a pair of twins for each season. Only one kid or even more is possible, but tends to be rare.
Captivity
While under the care of Harakoan tribes, the Um’naisi are kept in fenced grass areas in the valley to keep them out of the mountains and away from their wild counterparts. In order to keep track of their own herds, the domesticated (GOATS) are tagged with brands on their hindquarters. Depending on their intended use, the Um’naisi are kept in different areas. Most males are used for farm work or travel, being fitted with special gear to assist with this. It can take months to break a buck into being used to the gear, some of them needing their horns filed down to not hurt their handlers. Females get used for their milk, kept in small stable-like structures away from the rest.
Captive mating seasons are controlled, the natives trying to breed in good traits and behaviors and trying to breed out the ones that are considered too wild and not of much use for them. This is a recent practice for them, having only been doing it for a handful of goat generations.
Agriculture
According to the recordings made by the Jedi who encountered these animals, the Um’naisi are used in their entirety when slaughtered, but are also kept for other products while alive. The Harakoan do not believe in wasting any part of the animal. Meat mainly comes from bucks aged between 1 and 2 years, slaughtered for consumption starting after breeding season and throughout the year. 70% of the bucks born in a breeding season are kept to further breed or used as pack animals, the other 30% used for meat consumption. This equates to 100 goats on average slaughtered every year. The older goats that have outlived their intended use, whether it be for milking or use around the tribes, also get slaughtered. Meats of the older goats generally get cooked in spice heavy liquids for long periods of time to tenderize and make the taste more palatable.
Kept in a small stable-like building, a small group of does are used for milk production. Due to the Um’naisi’s ability to be milked long after breeding if done on a daily basis, the animals are well looked after and well fed to continue producing. Goat milk is used in many ways. Along with drinking it as it is, sweet spices are added for a special treat, the milk is used in cooking, extra milk is turned into butter and a cheese-like product, and the milk has also been known to be used in medicines. The remaining parts are also used. Fur is used for clothing and bedding, the thick coat able to withstand the cold climates. Intestines are specially cooked and consumed alongside the meat and are also used in medicinal concoctions. Bones of the goat are used for decoration and trinkets, the marrow taken out of recently slaughtered Um’naisi and used in medicine.
A set of buck horns decorate each home’s doorway in the mountain tribes, symbolizing their reverence for the animal while a doe’s horns are often ground up and used in medicinal mixtures.