Myrian Tiger

From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 04:47, 13 December 2010

"Never, EVER piss off a tiger. It'll be the last thing you see - no ifs, mights, or maybes about it." - Tianna of the Bloody Arrow, Myrian soldier

Myrian Tiger

Beast
Frequency	Uncommon
Threat level	High
Major features	Massive teeth and claws
Abilities	Mounts used for fighting and for hunting
Most common in	Taloba

The Myrian Tigers are the beautiful, blood-thirsty mounts prized by the savage Myrians of Falyndar. Independent, powerful, and deadly, they are without fear and will fight until the last drop of blood spills from their bodies.

History

Long ago, before the Myrians were united as one people, one tribe dominated the others in battle. That tribe was led by Myri the Merciless... who rode on a massive tiger that was her constant companion. Slowly they became common amongst the members of her own tribe, and amongst her people. It was acknowledged that only the strongest could handle the massive beasts, that the tigers would only accept the greatest as being suitable to ride them. The tradition continues to this day, and the mounts are of just as much importance as they were before the Valterrian.

Myrians breed these creatures exclusively in their city. There are no Myrian tigers in the wild.

Appearance

Myrian Tiger

The Myrian tigers are, simply put, huge. Their colors vary from light to deep orange, and are always marked with unique black striping patterns. Colors lighter than medium orange are somewhat rare. They have enormous feet that are webbed between the toes to assist with swimming. A full-grown tiger weight tends to hover a little over 2,000 pounds, and is about 18 feet long from their snout to the tip of their tail. They stand about six feet tall at their shoulders.

Unlike normal tigers, the Myrian breed's females are larger than their male counterparts, but not by much. On average, females outweigh males by about 200 pounds though there have been occurrences of especially large females that have at least 500 pounds over the rest of their kind. These are very rare, however, and are usually paired with the fiercest and most able of warriors. Myri's own mount is a giant even among these massive beasts, a female gifted to her directly by Navre. Rumor has it that her mount come from the Ukalas itself. Despite the size difference between genders, Myrian riders do not discriminate when choosing the sex of their mounts.

While there have been sightings of Kelvics with this animal form, these are relatively smaller by about 20-40% compared to those beasts given by Navre to the Myrians.

Abilities

The tigers are built for battle - strong, powerful cats that can carry up to two people (although one is preferred). They are excellent at hunting and tracking, and capable of sprinting at great speeds over small distances. They can fight beneath or beside their partner, possessing massive claws and teeth. They are capable of climbing the larger trees in Falyndar, and they are excellent swimmers.

Hunting

Myrian tigers are powerful creatures, one of the few land predators that sit at the top of the food chain in Falyndar's cutthroat ecosystem. They prey on almost every other predator, from other big jungle cats to constrictor snakes to crocodiles, though in a pinch, smaller animals like birds and monkeys can serve as a light snack. With sharp retractable claws and canines that could grow up to 8 inches in length, their size and natural weapons make them very dangerous and successful hunters.

Because of their natural camouflage, Myrian tigers favor ambush tactics when hunting in the wilds, especially when after quicker prey. Their stripes and coloration allow them to blend in effectively against the backdrop of shadows and thick foliage of the Falyndar jungles. On top of this, the pads on their feet muffle the sound of their footsteps, allowing them to sneak up on unsuspecting prey in relative silence. A Myrian tiger downwind of its intended target will more often than not remain undetected until it makes its attack. By then it is usually too late for its victim to do anything.

Combat

Myrian tigers are ferocious combatants, known for relentlessly attacking until their enemies are killed or their own lives have expired. They are not known to retreat even when faced by numerically superior opponents. As such, they are most dangerous when cornered, killing off as many as they can until their last breaths. This is their instinctive nature, thus Myrian tiger cubs are trained at a young age to follow the commands of their warrior counterparts so as not to ruin battle plans by fighting blindly. Those that grow in the wild often do not have the discipline to follow such directives.

Equipped with long and sharp fangs and a powerful bite, a Myrian tiger could easily tear out the throat of its victim, whether they be prey or enemy. Other tactics it employs are bites to the back of the neck to break the spine or sever the carotid artery, and swipes of its massive claws paws, which often powerful enough to smash unprotected skulls. It also uses its great size and weight against smaller opponents, often barreling through them to slam its 2,000 pound body against them - almost the equivalent of being hit by a siege battering ram.

Facing a Myrian tiger on its own is already deadly, but paired with an armed and able Myrian warrior riding on its back, they become a near unstoppable force of destruction.

Riding

The Myrians use a special kind of tack for the tigers. Crafted of the best quality leather, the saddle is low and set on a harness that goes over the beast's chest and behind its forelegs, placed over a thin saddle cloth. There is a set of grips on either side of the front for hanging on, if necessary, and the stirrups are quite short and far back. For the extremely dexterous Myrians, this position offers no discomfort to them, and ensures the comfort of their tigers. They do not use reins.

Behavior

Much like the Myrians, these tigers are territorial. While all instinctively consider the jungles of Falyndar their home, those few that have traveled to other locales with their riders tend to have territories that range from 80 square miles to a hundred and fifty, depending on the availability of prey. More prey would mean they need to travel less to hunt for food. In places like Taldera where most of the fauna have been affected by dirism, their territories would be smaller because of the size of their prey, which tend to last them a good while before they have to hunt again.

Any sign of other predators trespassing in their territories would elicit a loud roar from a Myrian tiger, which can be heard up to several miles away. This is a clear warning for the trespasser to leave the area, for if the tiger happens upon them, it will be a fight to the death.

While they are intolerant of other predators within their territories, Myrian tigers are amicable, even sociable, among those of their kind, be it another Myrian tiger or just a regular one. They are willing to share a kill with another, even if the other is not from the same litter or sires as them. Thus, the territories of Myrian tigers can and do overlap.

They mark their territories the same way normal tigers do.

Personalities

These massive predators embody the qualities most prized by Myri. They are independent, intelligent, aggressive, extremely loyal, and utterly fearless. They do not, and will not, tolerate any mishandling by anyone - they will fight back. But aside from that, these tigers are quite individual - just because one likes to dig, doesn't necessarily mean that another will.

Lifespan

The Tigers live to be up to about 30 years old. The age breakdown is as follows:

• 0-2 years - Cub: At this age, the tiger is simply a cub. They stay with their mother for about two years, and learn the basics - how to hunt, basic obedience commands, and how to fight and protect themselves. They are generally fully weaned at about two years old.
• 3-5 - Adolescent: When the Tigers are about three years old are so, they meet possible matches for warriors who have earned them. Training begins in earnest, and it is as much training for the rider as it is for the tiger. The particular riding style for the tigers is different from what one might expect from horses, with special tack. They learn combat on and off of the tiger, and fighting with them in harmony.
• 5-25 - Adult: They are active mounts and partners, and by now, the tigers have chosen their rider. It is not unusual for a rider to have three tigers at once - one in training, one active (but close to retirement), and one retired mount.
• 20-30 - Senior: The age of retirement varies between tigers, although the general ages are 20-25, depending on a number of factors, like their health, previous breeding, battles, availability. The retired mounts are still treated with utmost respect, and serve as guards and companions. When a Myrian Tiger dies, it receives a funeral pyre and all the ceremony that it entails.

Diet

The Myrian Tigers eat meat and fish in enormous quantities. They're not above eating people, either, and many seem to like the taste of the Charodae if they can catch them.

Mating

The Myrian tigers become sexually mature at about seven years of age. Pregnancy lasts nine months and the average litter size is 3-5 cubs, delivered every three years on average. Breeding between tigers is closely watched to ensure that the best (those tigers that have demonstrated desirable characteristics) genes are passed on.