Escalade



(es-KAH-laid)

Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, when settlers arrived at Atebus, they were anxious to make the land their own. One of these was a scientist who began to experiment with breeding and creating the perfect creature to be the guardian of those that were calling the moon their own. The results of his experiment was a group of tall, muscular creatures - the first five escalades. What was not expected, however, was that these animals possessed nearly human levels of sentience and intelligence - and that they could breed. Soon, the first five escalades became the first five hundred, and interest and curiosity in the breed lead to their export to the planet itself. Their intelligence allowed them to adapt readily to their new, ever-changing environments. These days, escalades are commonly spotted both on Atebus and on Subeta itself, truly showing that life does indeed find a way.

Escalades are quite bulky, easily standing between 4-5ft (1.2-1.5 m) at the shoulder and 4ft from head to end, not including their long, furry tails. They are extremely muscular, with the larger females weighing 400 lbs (181 kg), sometimes more. A particularly adventurous Subetan can ride an escalade - if they will let them! Because of their human-level intelligence, wild escalades live in rather well-formed societies, with each member of the pack - known as a gathering - taking on an essential role. They are a matriarchal society, with the largest, strongest female leading the group. Others take up roles anywhere from guards of the female to wet-nursing and protecting the young, to shaman and hunters. Male and female escalades alike will take on these tasks, though the females are ultimately in charge. Escalades mate for life, with the mother producing a litter of 3 to 4 fluffy kittens, in the late spring generally every other year. They are raised communally, with every member of the gathering taking a hand in their upbringing. Escalades will eat just about anything, from fresh meat (raw or cooked) to roots, nuts, and greens, and their claws are both useful for taking down unsuspecting prey and digging through dirt.

Underneath their helmets, escalades have fuzzy, large ears and no actual horns. The helmets became a tradition on Atebus to show their original purpose as a guardian, and the escalades themselves adapted this into their own culture. Today, there are blacksmiths all over the world that do the honor of making escalades their helmets, which come in many shapes and colors and often help represent their place in their gathering. The trade is also quite popular for domesticated escalades, as owners will try to outdo each other with the most elaborate helmet designs they can commission!

Despite their sentience, escalades can and do make wonderful pets. Domesticated escalades tend to love the easy life, and are perfectly content to curl up in front of a large fire or spend the afternoon asleep in a sunbeam. They are known for their intimidating stares, and their size alone makes them a wonderful guard pet - though many are willing to let a stranger into their homes if it means they'll get some attention and a good conversation.


Escalade has been viewed 5,535 times.

[Search]