Santikhiri

Fast Facts

Height: 3'7" to 4'3" at shoulder.

Weight: 320 to 540 lbs.

Length: 9'2" to 10'10" from head to tip of the tail.

Diet: Moss, insects, bushes, specific rocks.

Rarity: Uncommon; found in the Blackridge Mountains.

Tier: Tier 4. Medium danger: sharp, solid antlers, strong and swift, complex electric abilities. Prized antlers.

Appearance and Biology

Though spotting herds is rather uncommon in the Astralar mountains, knowledge about Santikhiri is widespread in Kalzasi given their beauty, and they're common motifs in painting and textiles. Briefly described, Santikhiri are known to be digitigrade quadrupeds, with elegant, slender legs; their bodies are covered in dull green scales, and golden strands of hair grow along their jaws, ankles and spines, displaying elegant manes that end on a beautiful tuft on the tip of their tail. However, the most famous attribute is their single, bronze-colored antler, used to capture lightning. Santikhiri move in small herds composed of 10 to 20 individuals and tend to avoid contact with other species.

Santikhiri have very particular biological adaptations; mechanisms that have allowed them to survive in the inhospitable cliffs of the Blackridge Mountains. The most relevant of these, of course, is their striking antlers. These antlers are made of a biological alloy of copper and other metals that give them their characteristic bronze color. Santikhiri's unorthodox diet makes this possible; while they usually eat moss, small bushes, insects and similar crag flora and small animals, they also incorporate minerals on their diet. They can be sometimes spotted licking walls with green hues, sometimes even picking up small stones and crushing them with their powerful jaws just to swallow them afterwards; these rocks are copper mineral deposits, which provides them with the necessary metal intake in their diet to keep those powerful antlers growing through all their life in both male and female specimens. Their antlers are of vital importance for their survival, for several reasons further explained in the following paragraphs.

The main reason of their antlers' existence is to capture lightning during thunderstorms. Santikhiri possess a main electrical storage organ surrounding their stomachs and auxiliary ones integrated in their muscles that naturally have very low electric generation capabilities. However, thunderstorms are rather common in Glade and Ash in the Blackridge Mountains, and thus at those times Santikhiri move to specific high peaks to attract lightning with their pointy metallic antlers. There, the whole herd slightly bows downwards to point their antlers up like lightning rods. For this to succeed, their naturally good eyesight and even sharper hearing, with efficient mobile pinnae, are very relevant. Their brain naturally calculates the position of the storm due to the direction of lightning, thunder and the time space between flash and thunder. Thus, they instantly know the direction and distance they have to travel, and it's not uncommon to see several herds of Santikhiri under a single eye of a storm together, waiting for lightning to strike them. When it does, the antler transfers it into their skulls and spines; there it's distributed to their storage organs, and their fur absorbs the excess as static electricity and remains charged as well; the rest is dispelled into the ground. When all reserves are full, the herd departs the peak. This electricity is used as a good substitute to food to provide energy to their body's diverse metabolic needs, given the scarcity of food in the arid peaks of the cold mountains. It's also used for defense; Santikhiri can charge their horns to ram into foes and their fur remains charged to electrocute any potential predators; their scales absorb the copper excess that isn't used in antler growth, and thus the metallic remnants make them tougher and slightly conductive as well.

Another use for their antler is especially surprising, and a relatively recent discovery. At times, two Santikhiri will adopt a particular position, which is called a communion. Their wet noses and front points of their antlers touch and they close their eyes; a moment later, they separate and carry on. Naturalists were surprised by this behavior at first, and they assumed it was a mating ritual; however, in most cases no mating ensued, and it was a behavior mantained all year long, not just on mating season. Besides, males were observed adopting communion with other males, females doing the same with other females. The true explanation came when a Santikhiri, barely escaping death after the platform it stood on collapsed, rushed back to the herd and initiated communion with males and females alike. The herd didn't try to follow that path again, and when individuals that hadn't engaged in communion tried to follow it, other members of the herd pulled them back. Truth is, that by touching their soft, wet noses and the tip of their antlers, they create an electric circuit connecting their brains. By engaging in communion, Santikhiri transmit relevant memories or information using electric impulses. While it's a slow form of communication compared to other animals, it's one of the most complete observed among species.

Given their importance, it's no surprise that Santikhiri antlers keep growing throughout their whole life; however, they keep their usual shapes and don't usually grow too big. The reason for this is none other than rusting. While resistant, humidity and exposure to the air ends up rusting Santikhiri antlers that have been growing for some time already; the tip of these antlers start to resemble a coating of green scales that either fall off or are burned when lightning strikes, and thus Santikhiri antlers usually have a stable shape throughout their life. Given that is the alloy's age and composition that makes them rust, even shaved or mutilated Santikhiri antlers return to their usual shape after a few months or years.

Santikhiri limbs are also worthy of mention. Digitigrades, they have five distinct claws on each paw that allows them to securely step on narrow rocks and climb with ease, as they have a great sense of balance and great strength on all four limbs. Their tail also helps them achieve that balance; its high muscular density, strength and ability to charge the hair tuft on the tip with electricity also allows them to deliver strong blows and paralyzing shocks when they have to defend themselves.

Habitat

As previously stated, Santikhiri populate the whole Blackridge mountain range, from north to south, though they're more abundant in the peaks of the Astralar mountains that surround kalzasi. They live at high altitudes, on rocky peaks that naturally display the climate conditions and scarce vegetation of alpine tundras due to cold and poor quality of the rock as substrate. Although they could descend to grassier plateaus and they sometimes do, if food and storms are scarce, they naturally thrive on such a low-competition environment, their electrical adaptations making up for the lack of food most of the time.

Temperament

Santikhiri are, above all, shy animals. While they trust their own herd and they'll know it well, engaging in communion with family and members they trust, they avoid other animals, only daring to approach smaller beings and calm, known herbivores. They dislike anything that approaches them directly and is large enough to pose some kind of danger, including sentient races. Within their herd, they tend to be proud, unwilling to display weakness. Also somewhat elegant and vain, taking pride on their antlers and many acting aloof.

Tamed Santikhiri will take some time to trust their owners or handlers; even then, they'll still act mostly distant in most cases, but they will rush to their aid should they need protection, and at calm moments, they try to initiate communion with them on any are of skin, resulting in the Santikhiri mildly shocking the skin they contact (since they have no brain of their species to contact). It's encouraged to endure this tickling jolt and to avoid retaliation, as refusing communion is taken as an offense and a betrayal of trust.

Life Cycle

Santikhiri are a very peculiar species, and as such they have particular mating behaviors. Males and females have no visible sexual dimorphism except for females sporting long, flowy whiskers, which have no effect in their performance, and thus are considered equally strong. For this reason, both males and females of age participate in mating rituals.

The mating season of Santikhiri starts in Glade; when the first rainstorms pour, a few herds form a larger group at an isolated plateau and a Tournament begins. They form a large circle and one by one, they issue challenges to the ones they feel they must defeat to prove their strenght. Most members clash antlers (except the young, the old and the sick or injured) , the sound reminiscent of a sword tournament, and as time goes by, defeated and injured individuals end up laying down and watching. The Tournament is over when no more challenges are issued; the victor stands on the center, usually the individual who has defeated the most foes. All its challenges refused, it then chooses a mate of the opposite gender, usually high ranking as well; the chosen mate gladly accepts in most cases, and they exit the Tournament to find a calm place to mate. Then, the second strongest contestant gets to make his choice, after all his challenges have been refused as proof of their strength. This goes on until all candidates have found a couple or have been refused; sometimes, weaker individuals are refused in mating as a result of losing every combat. After mating, they return; as new couples are formed, herd conformations change when they leave the tournament.

The gestational period is two seasons, roughly; 1 to 4 kids are born in Ash and they're breastfed until they have grown horns and manes strong enough to endure their first lightning bolt. They often engage in communion with both of their parents; it's unknown is the reason behind this is affiliation or education, though it's most likely both of them. Communion is also used by parents to stimulate their electric organs, sending small electric currents to feed their offspring and have their storage organs develop. After three years, the young Santikhiri are old enough and they've grown adult antlers. It's at this age when they first join a Tournament; they are usually swiftly defeated due to a lack of experience, but that's the moment where they separate from their parents and join a new herd. They'll join the tournament again next year, and maybe gain reproduction rights, starting the cycle anew. Adult Santikhiri can live up to 60 years in the wild; individuals in captivity have reached past 100 years.

Uses

As mentioned before, Santikhiri grow antlers made of a rare copper bio-alloy that can only be produced by their bodies; with excellent mechanical and conductive properties, they are very sought out by runeforgers and engineers. Slivers of their horns can be shaved off with advanced blades, or saws can be used to cut the horns themselves.

They are also useful as companion animals to store and produce electricity, as natural lightning rods and as fierce protectors when properly tamed. Although not common, they can be used as pack animals through dangerous mountain terrains.