Orikalk

The orikalk, or oryk, is a horned quadruped mammal, distantly related to the ovor. They are primarily found in the southern Natorn Isles, and live green woodland and scrubland in the northern and eastern peninsulas of Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable HartheraOrorr.

They are most numerous in dry grassland such as found in western Otekahré, western Ororr and the southern plains of Anrelplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnrel Isles

Anrel [ANN-rel], or the Anrel Isles, is the most northerly island group in the Natorn Archipelago. It consists of three major islands and numerous smaller ones. The largest, colloquially if infrequently called Mainland, is divided between the kingdoms of Trésard and Narette. The island.

Oryks are mostly herbivores with coarse dun-coloured or black hair, with long jagged horns which enable them to fight off virid predators. They are semi-domesticated by nomadic tribes but are primarily a wild species living on the margins of human cultivation, since their sharp horns and aggressive nature makes them unsuited to captivity.

The orikalk were particularly important to the Junda people, where they were used as domestic draught animals, and also for their milk, blood and hides. In Junda culture it was taboo to kill orikalk, although they were eaten ritually if the animals died accidentally.