within the fridgid, snowless lands of Kerano that creatures of musk ox likeness can be encountered. Through it is bitter cold
in the country, the notion of snow is an absurdity, which acts as the Bobeerins saving grace.. given its size.
Bobeerin are small oxen. No taller than the ankles of the average man. With plush, bluish dark coats and white-furred legs, adorned with pale muzzle and dark nose: the Bobeerin are largely ignored by the Kauen people, who have little interest in the migratory creatures oft found roaming their plains. The oxen are thought of as being inferior to other beasts, and incredibly stupid, for they adhere to pointless migration. No one place warmer, or more fertile than another. For some, questions arise that
are left unanswered. Is it some age old racial memory that they carry out, enacting it over and over each year from when the world
was younger? Or do they follow something that simply cannot be understood.
In reality, Bobeerin are 'magic eaters'. While it might look they are snuffling for plants between the icy layers of the earth, they
are sniffing for streams of magic that have slipped through a dimensional rift and upon encountering it, feed joyfully. The
Bobeerin,contrary to popular belief, are extremely intelligent. Before they get to a point where they might deplete the stream, they
pause, and move as far away from it as possible to another one of their previous haunts.
Once finding two ample streams of magic in distance, they would remember the locations, and spend much of their time moving
from one, to the other -- and back again once the first was full and far. They are capable of eating plants that contain a
thread of magical essence, and can adapt to it if the need arises. Bobeerin however, often expire when caught and attempts are
made to tame them: as most of the plants that do contain magic are poisonous to humans, and its never considered to
be given to Bobeerin who are treated like regular animals.
Bobeerin are able to travel through magical rifts, into the planes beyond. They have a wide range of magical abilities, such as the sprouting of miniature fireballs, but they are generally extremely gentle and pacifistic.
Last, but not least.. the Bobeerin are tufted on their crowns.
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? Responses (12)
Fun thought. I enjoy thinking of a herd of ankle-sized oxen. The picture provided makes it a little difficult to picture the oxen as blue though. I thought it was very clever to work out why the Bobeerin always die in captivity. Nicely done there. The first paragraph is very artistic with good flair, but it really doesn't flow right with the rest of the submission; it easy to read, but it lacks the flair. In general, I really like it. It could be very fun flavor text for any tundra campaign.
I edited it a bit upon recommendation!! :)
Okay, I like how these are, at first glance, simply cute little mini-oxen, but then they have this whole sophisticated ecology underneath.
I immediately had the thought that maybe they are otherplanar creatures that only manifest as mini-oxen on our plane, but if we travel to their home they would be these grand majestic creatures.
What if someone caught on to their true foodsource, and sussed out the location of these magic streams, and tapped into them as a power source? Would a bobeerin make a good familiar, since magic users can possibly have some sort of ambient magic surrounding them, seeping into nearby vegetation. Would bobeerin parts make for power-boosting magic components? These are all hypothicals, of course, since no one in their right mind would ever think of using these critters in such a way.
I would imagine, if you get a herd big enough, these fellows could be quite a nuisance, always getting under foot, clogging the roadways and such.
Bobeerin would most likely be quite good in tracking out these locations, and they would make handy pocket-sized familiars. Or I could even see them being led around on snazzy harnesses, with a bell. Such an creature is certaintly capable and intelligent enough to recognize his master (should it be in a world where magic and mages are commonplace and it was indeed tamed! - the one in particular magic is more rare, at least to the average denizen of the world). The Bobeerin's little horns may be used as 'magic detectors' and may vibrate faintly when made into necklaces and glow a faint blue.
The horns not only detect magic, but regulate the flow of it through the creatures body, always imbued with at the very least, a trace of it, even long after the rest of the bones had turned to dust. It remains capable of absorbing magic until its been burned by fire. A light coating of perpetual ash then gathers over the horns. This is part of the reason why Bobeerin, while capable of spouting out miniature fireballs, do not do so often, as they may risk singing their own horns, which would lead to their own potential demise.
Cute creatures.
Ohemgee these are so adorable. I am tickled pink by Tauric's idea of them existing in more than one plane, and being large majestic bovine in one and tiny little nusiances in another. You obviously put a lot of thought into these sweet creatures and have a very clear idea of their abilities. Unfortunately aside from flavor I don't see them being involved in anything quest-related or grand. That's okay though, they fulfill their role very well.
I can see them involved in a grand, if silly quest: "Magic is suddenly failing! We are doomed!" Of course, it's just Bobeerin overpopulation.
A tyrannical regime could use them out to sniff out wizards. And once they taste a spellbook, wizards beware!
Adorable. Alas: what is their origin? How does their intelligence manfest? How do they interact with cultures? Any predators or enemies? Etc.
Origin: Bobeerin are indeed planar creatures. They were driven from their plane (a vast, vertile green space, with all manner of giant plants, ripe with magic), there their lush little furry bodies would spend many a day in lazy drift through stream beds, the hair acting as a suspensory raft to keep them afloat, heading from one shore to another in vast herds. Their natural predator there, a wild-dog one could call it, had become severely overpopulated, resulting in the Bobeerin fleeing to another plane, unable to return home.
In current conditions, they have no natural enemies. However, it has taken them a long time to adapt to the climates and circumstances of the cold wasteland they find themselves in now, and many a Bobeerin had died from the original herd that had crossed over. Crossing over in itself is a dangerous task.
Bobeerin numbers would most likely be very few, and wouldn't present a particular point of interest to those who live in the tundra. (though this could be easily modified - they could be hunted for their little horns, or to be caged as exotic pets with fleeting lifespans, due to the exact food source not being known)
Bobeerin are capable of reason, and intelligence. They have genetic memory that is passed down to newborn Bobeerin - hence the little ones knowing that they cannot return home, and since they cannot control which plane they land on when travelling, they might end up in a magma infested one. Travelling in such a fashion tends to zap the magic from their bodies, and in order to build up enough to do so again may not be accumulated in the Bobeerins lifespan. Bobeerin are capable of rational thought - if properly tamed and raised, they may even understand speech.
So, now we know where buffalo wings come from
Quality submission. Cute, quirky and interesting. Little "Magic Sniffers" - I like it.
I will quote OmegaDraco 'I enjoy thinking of a herd of ankle-sized oxen'.
Love the quirky detail! I think the comments here are great too. The sub continues on in them!
Wonderful magic creatures - a nice gentle addition to one's world. It can be used in a lot of places!