Fauna and Flora of Goertha

Animals

Carnivores

Gantach: A 2m-long hunting beast, also useful as a guard or war beast. They are expensive to train and breed, thus usually held in common in villages. Nobles tend to own them in plenty. Habitat: Temperate woods and plains; Diet: carnivore; Strategy: nocturnal or diurnal chaser; Average Lifespan: 16 yrs; Weight: 200 kg; Weapons: Teeth; Integument: Scales

Gardell: Pricey, difficult to breed two-legged avio-saurids. A gardell matures to full size in about three years at the typical cost of about 25 orgs and 15 seedworms. Adult gardells in the field are often sustained with handfuls of grainworms. Gardells are both scaled and feathered, with toothed beaks and vicious claws. The most prized gardells have flashy colors. Nobles and knights ride them into battle. Habitat: Temperate land; Activity: Day; Diet: carnivore; Type: pouncer; Average Lifespan: 10 yrs; Weight: 800 kg; Weapons: Claws & Teeth; Integument: Scales.

Scarworm: Eight-metre long, two-metre high predators of seedworms. They are uncommon forest dwellers, but occasionally provide a real threat to farms. Diet: carnivore; Strategy: nocturnal eater; Average Lifespan: 5 yrs; Weight: 250 kg; Weapons: Mandibles; Integument: Chitin.

Herbivores

Gluck: A typical farm fowl, kept by nearly all peasant families. Glucks are similar to chickens, but as stupid as turkeys. Gluck hens can be expected to produce a half-dozen or so glucklings yearly. Diet: herbivore; Strategy: diurnal grazer; Average Lifespan: 8 yrs; Weight: 8 kg

Horligan: A rare, solitary critter, the horligan has short legs, a horny carapace edged with whiskers, small ears, a short tail, and amber-colored eyes. The carapace is said to be impervious to weapons and its eyes make powerful talismans. Diet: herbivore; Strategy: diurnal grazer; Average Lifespan: 15 yrs; Weight: 10 kg

Pack Lizard: The ubiquitous four-legged draft animal of Madoria. They are used both to pull carts and wagons, and to carry medium loads on their backs. Pack lizards are also employed to graze on the stubble left after harvesting. Habitat: Any warm land; Diet: omnivore; Strategy: diurnal grazer; Average Lifespan: 12 yrs; Weight: 1100 kg; Weapons: Teeth; Integument: Scales.

Seedworm: Six metres long and one metre in diameter, these burrowing detritivores serve two purposes on Goerthan farms: turning soil and filling stomachs. Seedworms are cheap and their flesh preserves well when salted and dried. Unfortunately the yield is rather low: only about 5% of the animal's weight is salvageable as edible meat after death. Diet: herbivore; Strategy: filter; Average Lifespan: 6 yrs; Weight: 680 kg.

Omnivores

Hueglach: A common, two-legged pack beast related to the gardell. Hueglachs can be rode by small persons, but usually serve to carry light loads. Habitat: Temp to trop swamp or forest; Diet: omnivore; Strategy: diurnal hunter; Average Lifespan: 10 yrs; Weight: 500 kg; Weapons: Teeth; Integument: Scales.

Org: The domesticated org provides meat and dairy products and is cheap to feed, since they eat anything. If not fattened for food, orgs can also serve as guard animals, and can even keep out scarworms if given proper numbers. Orgs are commonly used to help clear stubble after harvest, though they are not as efficient as pack lizards. Diet: omnivore; Strategy: diurnal gatherer; Average Lifespan: 10 yrs; Weight: 100 kg; Weapons: Teeth; Integument: Hide.

Note: The "type" designations given here are borrowed from Traveller, a trademark of FarFuture Enterprises, Inc.

Plants

Grains

Geith: Given poor soils, geith is grown. In a two or three-field system, geith is planted during autumn. Scythes are used for harvesting. Geith is ground up to make flour for pastries and biscuits. Every 2 litres of geith seed can yield 5 litres of grain. The average yield density is 900 litres of grain per hectare, at 0.4 kg per litre.

Grop: In better soils, grop is grown. In a two- or three-field system, grop is planted in the spring. The thin, elongated sheaths which hold the grain may be shaken loose, but typically a hacking knife is used for cutting. The grop produces a seed which is ground up to make a coarse, cake-like bread, or used as a crunchy snack. Boiled grop soup is renowned for its lack of flavor. Grop has a yield ratio of 4:1. On the average each hectare of grop produces 1 kL of grain, at 0.7 kg per litre.

Fruits and Vegetables

Dachaills: A sweet, golden fruit imported from southern nations. The dachaill is used in confections. The dachaill can also be used to produce a wine, which can further be processed into a beverage similar to cognac. Each are of dachaill orchard can yield 300 litres of produce, at 0.5 kg per litre.

Deaberries: Deaberries are purplish and used in pastries and desserts. They are sweet and slightly sour. Each are of deaberry orchard can yield 300 litres of produce, at 0.35 kg per litre.

Rhalberries: These are delicious berries used in pastries or as standalone desserts. Rhalberry pie recipies are hot items for contests and conversation. Each are of rhalberry orchard can yield 300 litres of produce, at 0.35 kg per litre.

Others: A wide variety of roots and leafy vegetables are commonly grown in villagers' gardens and used in soups and stews.

Herbs and Flowers

Trees and Shrubs

Deaberry: A thorny, fruit-bearing shrub which grows on hillsides near rivers and ponds.

Drue: A rare magical shrub associated with tiulach groves. The berries of the drue are said to confer immortality upon the gods. They are extremely poisonous to mortals. The priestesses of Lidach tend the plants at the sacred shrine Glan Druich in Somberwood.

Rhal: A Ralubian import, the rhal does not grow well except in well-cared-for gardens. See the section on rhalberries in the Economy section for information on the uses of the rhal.

Tiulach: A ubiquitous tree which grows singly amidst other broadleafs. Tiulachs are massive trees often associated with nature spirits. A tiulach grove is a sure sign of a spiritual power node.