BM - The Humble Guar

[Deeza]

A perennial surprise to visitors to the Eastern Provinces of the Empire is the complete lack of horses and other familiar beasts of burden. Whilst the reasons for this absence are complex, and have been discussed at length elsewhere, the curious creatures which take their place in the economies and culture of these lands have been a source of enduring fascination for centuries.

Whilst the Dunmer make use of a multitude of creatures, from the vast silt striders bred by the Telvanni to the terrifying Sky Renders of the Dres, the native Argonians of Black Marsh are said to employ numerous beasts of burden, from the elusive marshrunner to the slow and repulsive Giant Iguana.

Yet perhaps the most common of these beasts is the humble Guar, which, though puny in comparison to these mighty and exotic beasts, is possessed of a surprising endurance which has earned it a place at the heart of Eastern life.

The domesticated Guar of Morrowind was originally obtained from wild stock during the tumultuous period which accompanied the transition of the Velothi Chimer culture from nomadic tribes to larger settled populations. Once roaming wild in vast herds across the Deshaan plains of central Morrowind, today Guar are more commonly found in agriculture, where they are raised for meat and hides, for pulling ploughs and other implements, and most intriguingly, for riding.

The product of selective breeding, many distinct types of riding Guar are known. Of these, the Black Hlaalu and Narsis Thoroughbred are perhaps most notable. Significantly larger than other breeds, these creatures are also hardier and more aggressive, an attribute put to use by mounted warriors.

Although Morrowindian in origin, the Guar was introduced to Black Marsh via the many raids and incursions of the Dunmer into Arnesia. Through chance escapes and failed attempts at establishing plantations, a sizeable feral population developed. Surprisingly, they were able to flourish in the hostile environment of the Marsh, suggesting an ancient kinship with the reptilian fauna of that province.

Impressed by this ability, both Dunmer and, later, Imperial colonists began the process of re-domesticating these feral Guars, producing the distinctive, disease-resistant breeds which are today used as beasts of burden throughout Argonia.

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Nice little background detail. :check:

It could appear as one in a series of 'fauna' books....

[Deeza]

Thanks. Yes, we should write more books on the wildlife once the new resource bsa is finished...