A "charuck" is a class of huge, reptile-like predator, as big as the largest of old-Earth's dinosaurs. The Academy has listed at least 20 different species, differing widely in size and appearance. Some are sea-dwelling but amphibious and can terrorize coastal villages; others stalk prey in dense jungles. They are seldom found in mountainous regions or open fields however.
Chanoga Wasp
Lifespan: 3-5 years
Length: 30-40 centimeters (12-15")
Wingspan: 60-80 centimeters (25-30")
Weight:
Native to Raana: Yes
The chanoga wasp/chanugah hornet is one of Raana's few native flying creatures, dwelling mostly in regions of high altitude (3,000+ meters). It's extremely rare, thankfully, as its aggressiveness is a thing of legend.
Narlet
Lifespan: 6-12 years.
Length: 15-40 centimeters (10-15")
Weight:
Native to Raana: Yes
A narlet is a small rodent-like creature common in all of Irendoria. It's ragged fur and bony structure make the creature uninteresting for most hunters - only a handful of destitute tribalists are known to frequently hunt the animal
Wrool Cats
A wrool catLifespan:
Length:
Weight: up to 100kg
Native to Raana: Yes
A cat-like, leopard-sized predator native to Raana. Widespread, fierce, and bold enough to enter cities.
Earth fauna out-competes Raanan fauna, but since the human colonists brought mostly herbivores rather than carnivores, wrool cats are managing to survive, preying on deer and boar in the absence of wolves and lions. A rare example of Raanan native life surviving in the Great Biological Wipe.
They hunt in small family packs, though adolescent males can be encountered on their own. Tough, aggressive, and dangerous, attempts to tame them haven't gone well so far. They seem quite intelligent; maybe that is why.
Beryll Monkeys
Latin name: Inexor valacae
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight: up to 200kg
Native to Raana: Yes
Ape-like creatures native to the Irendorian continent. Lots of rumors circulate about these beings, many of them lurid, and some motivated by a desire to demonize them to justify exterminating them, as they live in forests which some humans would like to chop down for timber. More intelligent than the Earth gorillas that they equal in size: they are said to have language, live in villages, create and use tools, have some form of religion, and trade gemstones with humans. The rumors about their males' taste for human women, and the enormous size of their genitals, may also be true.
Thought to be most likely responsible for the "Beryll pottery culture", dated by its artifacts to the brief period 5,000-4,750 BHE.
Tar snakes
Lifespan:
Length: 100m+
Weight: hundreds of tons?
Native to Raana: yes
Gigantic, elongate, lizard-ish creatures, far bigger than any animal ever evolved on Earth. Capable of standing up to even large bodies of soldiers equipped with the best weapons; their defenses seem not merely physical. One was recently responsible for a recent incident on the Haalu Plateau which dealt a severe blow to the Chancellor's elite space marine force. Stay well away.
"The Degosa tar pit is famous for the Haalu incident in September 2488, when 120 space marines were sent to destroy a large tar snake dubbed "The Degosa Demon". They failed miserably, and the 500-foot serpent pulled over 70 marines into the depths of its dark abode. Those who survived, came back... changed. Most subsequently rejected the call to go back into service even though refusal to guard the Spheremasters equals a death sentence once you have taken the space marine oath."
Baneclaw
A baneclawLifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: yes
Baneclaws are ferocious bipedal predators indigenous to Raana, with charucks their only natural enemy. Thankfully only found alone or in pairs, they keep on growing as they age, reaching gargantuan sizes. Their dung is particularly effective as fertilizer. And given how dangerous they are, it is risky to obtain, and hence scarce, hence highly sought after, and valuable.
Vermer rats
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: yes
Pests that occasionally boom in numbers to form plagues which devastate human crops and food stores.
Cikko flies
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: yes
More local pests that can form plagues devastating food storage.
Bitter Bugs
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: yes
Small, insectoid creatures that can give a venomous bite - painful, but rarely lethal. Reason to wear gloves when gardening!
Lurkmite
Lifespan:
Length: 1m
Weight: 20kg+
Native to Raana: yes
Aquatic, crab-like predator the size of a dog. They may hide in shallow water, hoping to surprise potential land prey on the seashore, and have been known to attack humans.
Boars
Lifespan: 10-14 years
Length: 1.5-1.8m
Weight: 60-200kg
Native to Raana: No
Introduced from Earth, and now plentiful in the wetlands within Ikaanos City and some other areas in and around human habitation (within the growing area of the Great Biological Wipe). These fierce omnivores can be hunted safely as long as you are better armed than they are, and keep an eye out for bandits. People concerned about the replacement of native Raanan flora & fauna with invasive Earth species encourage the culling of boar as pests.
Deer
Lifespan: 10-13 years
Length: 2m
Weight: 100-200kg
Native to Raana: No
Introduced from Earth, and now plentiful in undeveloped areas around Ikaanos and some other human settlements (within the growing area of the Great Biological Wipe). These gentle herbivores can be hunted safely as long as you keep an eye out for bandits. People concerned about the replacement of native Raanan flora & fauna with invasive Earth species encourage the culling of deer as pests.
Mules
Lifespan: 35-50+ years
Length: 2m
Weight: 300-700kg
Native to Raana: No
Another Earth import, these hardy, willful & characterful creatures rarely roam wild - they are used as beasts of burden, well-suited to Ikaanos' unsurfaced, muddy tracks. Doubly convenient, as they self-fuel by eating the familiar Earth plants of the great biological wipe rather than needing rare fossil fuels or scarce biofuels, irreplaceable Energy Cells, or a connection to a fusion power module. You will likely acquire a couple to haul camping equipment around if you want to explore beyond Ikaanos City itself; they come included in the price of a "Camp Level 2".
Horses
Lifespan: 25-50+ years
Length: 2.4m
Weight: average 400-600kg (absolute 26kg - 1,500kg)
Native to Raana: No
Another Earth import, used in agriculture and for pulling carts as well as a self-fueling human transport. Well-suited to Ikaanos' unsurfaced, muddy tracks. You can enroll your slaves in one of Ikaanos' riding schools, or build a Stables in your Yard and buy your own horses. Depending on fitness, horses can comfortably carry a rider and saddle totaling 15-25% of their own body weight or less (e.g. a 500kg horse can be expected to carry a rider, saddle, rug, bridle, bags etc totaling 100kg).
Halodim
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: Yes
Native game animals found in the Corazon jungles. Harmless, by Raanan standards. There's not much meat on them, but they are a good source of Pelts.
Devor Dragon
Lifespan:
Length:
Weight:
Native to Raana: Yes
A huge, dinosaur-like beast found in the Corazon jungles. As dangerous as a Charuck. Avoid.
