Alii'oya

Apollyon

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Name: Basic: Mandalorian Wolf/Pack Hunter. Mando'a: Alii'oya.

Biology: Mammalian canid predators, the Mandalorian wolf, or alii'oya as they are known in Mando'a, are massive and powerful animals. Adults from the woodland areas in the vicinity of Norg Bral basin measure 160–215 cm in length, 110–115 cm in shoulder height and weigh on average 52–70 kg, with a maximum weight of 89–100 kg. One of the largest on record was killed after the Sith War in the same region, and weighed 98 kilograms. In the wild, wolves have been recorded to live up to twenty years, and the oldest wolf in captivity was over 36 years old when it passed away from old age. Wolves also don't enter menopause, and are capable of bearing pups from the age of two.


The fur is generally very coarse, with some soft wool intermixed, and a pronounced mane. The summer fur is a mix of ocherous and rusty ocherous tones with light grey. The guard hairs are tipped with black, and are especially pronounced on the back, forming a dark stripe running down the spine. The flanks and the outer side of the legs are white. The muzzle is pale-ocherous grey, while the circumference of the lips and lower cheeks are white. The neck is ocherous with black-tipped fur on the upper side. The winter fur is generally brighter in colour, due to the more prominent underfur. Ocherous tones are less pronounced, giving way to smoky grey tones. Animals near, and south of, Keldabe tend to be more richly coloured than their northern relatives. There have been cases of pure white specimens but they are exceedingly rare, and may be mere cases of albinism.


Like the Mandalorians, the Alii'oya live in extended family groups, called packs, ranging between anywhere between two adults to twenty (depending on the available prey), but with only one breeding pair, whom dominates the other members of the packs through force and violence. The other animals are usually the adult offspring of the breeding pair. However, every member of the pack helps in the hunt, working as a team to bring down larger prey species, or hunt enough smaller prey animals to survive. The entire pack also helps raise the young, that come in litters of five to six in average, though this number has been shown to increase in times where prey is abundant.


Mandalorian wolves mate for life, and will stay together for as long as they both live. However, should a member of the breeding pair die, the surviving member will quickly seek out a new mate, and restablish the dominant pair. Should they fail to do so, the pack will fall apart and it's members seek to join new, or form their own, packs.


In northern areas, such as the region near Norg Bral, the Alii'oya create dens, or use natural caves or other forms of shelter in which to den and take shelter from the more extreme forms of the elements. In the areas south of Keldabe, where it is warmer and a more stable climate, they are more willing to lie in the open for their diurnal rest. But even in the southern regions they keep their pups in dens until they are strong enough to run, and hunt, with the rest of the pack, keeping them safe from other predators, such as the strill, whom won't think twice of killing off the competition before it can fight back.


A wolf's territory can range between several hundreds, to a few thousands of square kilometers wide. It all depends on the amount of prey animals, and the size of the pack. They are also extremely territorial, and will defend their territory quite savagely from other packs.


Subspecies: No.


Sentience: As any Mandalorian will tell you, the Alii'oya is a highly intelligent, and highly social predator, and capable of learning and adapting their strategies according to the situation, and may thus be considered semi-sentient.


The Mandalorian wolf is even capable of telling the difference between an armed sentient compared to one that is unarmed, and have keen memories, and while at times unpredictable and unmanageable, they are fully capable of learning and being trained by patient sentients.


One tamed wolf was able to recognize it's master after a six year absence. Several trappers and huntsmen have reported alii'oya digging up, and disabling, simple traps, and have learned to hide from the sound of engines. Even while presented with a vast amount of food, wolves will always go after the easiest source of food, and have been known to wait patiently for hunters to finish skinning a kill, before moving in to feed.


Strengths: Intelligent and adaptable, they are quick learner, and pass on what they know to their young. Extremely keen senses, especially that of hearing, being able to hear up to a frequency of 26 kHz, which is sufficient to register the fall of leaves in the autumn period. Their night vision is also keener than most canid species. The wolf can exert a crushing pressure of perhaps 3,500 lbf/in2. This force is sufficient to break open most bones.


In cold climates, the alii'oya can reduce the flow of blood near its skin to conserve body heat. The warmth of the footpads is regulated independently of the rest of the body, and is maintained at just above tissue-freezing point where the pads come in contact with ice and snow.


The Mandalorian wolf has an incredible amount of endurance and stamina, capable of maintaining a loping gait of 12 - 15 km/h for several hours, allowing them to cover vast areas quickly. Their maximum speed has been clocked to be somewhere between 55 - 60 km/h, allowing them to run down most prey.


The Mandalorian wolves are also extremely healthy as a species. While some do fall prey to sickness and parasites, there has never has never been a reported case of an epidemic or a decimation within wolf numbers related to disease or illness.


Weaknesses: Certain sounds, such as the low minor chords of string instruments, cause extreme discomfort and distress. Inability to discern between certain colours. Territorial (see above). Reliance upon a pack system.


Diet: Primarily carnivorous, the majority of their diet is comprised of shatual, vhe'viin, and watsip, but they have been known to consume plants and berries upon occasion. They are not above scavenging, and have been known to steal kills from strill. They appear reluctant to consume the flesh of strills.


Behavior/Temperament: Like most predatory pack species, alii'oya are agressive and distrustful towards outsiders, though prolonged, non-agressive, exposure may lessen this behaviour somewhat. As previously mentioned, they are intelligent and are willing to change and modify their behaviour to suit the situation. They are also very protective of a kill, and all Mandalorians are taught to stay well clear of an alii'oya kill.


Communication: The most noticeable method of commu[nication between Mandalorian wolves, is howling. These howls can be heard for well over 160 km 2, and are used in a great variety of methods, such as to lay claim to territory, to rally the pack to a kill, or simply to be social. They also communicate through a wide selection of growls, yelps, yips, whimpers, and a vast range of gestures, expressions and other forms of body language.


Planet: Native to Mandalore. Later exported to other Mandalorian worlds, such as Concord Dawn, Ordo, Shogun, Gargon, Mandallia, etc.


Culture: N/A


Technology: N/A


History: One of Mandalore's native species, they evolved alongside the shataul, their main prey and the strill, their main rivals. The alii'oya were present when the the first Mandalorians came to Mandalore, and when said species wiped out the giant Mythosaurs, the title of apex predator was passed down unto the strill and the Mandalorian wolf.


The first Mandalorians, were impressed with the alii'oya, whom shared many of the same aspects of their own culture. Both held family at the core, both lived in extended family groups, and they all helped their family to survive. It was then obvious that some Mandalorians sought out and bonded with the Mandalorian wolves, whom they named "Alii'oya", in their native tongue of Mando'a, meaning "Pack Hunter". And as the Mandalorians moved to settle other planets in the Mandalore sector, they brought their tamed alii'oya.


And inevitably, some managed to escape, and establish new, feral, packs on other Mandalorian worlds, such as Ordo, Mandallia, Shogun, and Gargon.


Notable PCs: N/A


Intent: To flesh out Mandalore and the sector, and allow Mandalorian players to play Beast Masters if desired, without taking a Strill. Very few species of Mandalore are known, nevermind fleshed out.


Please note, the original write up was done by Kiro, she gave me permission to repost, all credit goes to her!
 
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Malon

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