ECOLOGY

Environment temperate hills
Organization solitary, pair, or herd (3–12)
Treasure none

Wollipeds were among the first beasts of burden domesticated. Some claim wollipeds weren't domesticated initially to be working animals, but rather were herded and bred for their extremely warm and plentiful fleece. In any case, native peoples have a long history of using these magnificent animals for many purposes, even employing them as mounts in battle. A typical wolliped stands between 5 and 6 feet at the front shoulder and weighs upward of 1,000 pounds.

Ecology

Wollipeds are social herd animals that subsist on a diet of grasses, leaves, and other plant material. Wollipeds in high mountainous environments obtain much of their food from lichens and mosses, while herds of wollipeds on the plains graze on more substantial fare. Wild wollipeds tend to migrate to more plentiful foraging lands when winter comes, though these can be difficult to find. Domesticated wollipeds, tended to by herders, are found throughout nearly all the world.

Walking on eight sturdy legs, wollipeds are exceptionally sure-footed. These creatures can climb steep mountain trails and march through heavy snow with little effort, and cavalry have often charged up scree-choked hillsides to raid fortresses on the backs of armored wollipeds. The great beasts' facility at maneuvering in challenging environments and generally submissive nature have resulted in a long relationship with the humanoids. Wollipeds live for about 15 years, mating and giving birth every 11 months, and can be ridden until the final month of pregnancy.

Habitat & Society

Wollipeds are social animals, grouping together into herds for protection. When threatened, wollipeds gather in a tight cluster with the young animals kept in the very center of the herd. Domesticated wollipeds are used for casual riding, pulling plows, and walking circles to power wollimills.

While other exotic fabrics are available during a summer, the mainstay of winter textiles is spun wolliped fleece. Wolliped fibers wick water away, and still provide adequate warmth even when soaked, while the variations in coat colors and textures provide a wide array of design options.

Wollipeds exhibit distinct seasonal variance. Wollipeds born during the winter have long, thick, shaggy coats of fine fibers with a hollow core, while those born in the summers have shorter, thinner coats.

Rather than the coats of individuals changing, the change happens generationally; winter wollipeds give birth to short-coated summer wollipeds as the planet warms, and vice versa. The process happens quickly, usually beginning in the east, though no one knows precisely why.

In addition to wolliped fleece, some artisans use the ivory from wolliped tusks as a raw material, but this is most common for wollipeds born during the winter, as their tusks are three times the size of those born in summer. Winter wollipeds use their foot-long tusks for a variety of purposes. In addition to using them to dig in the ice and snow for deep green tubers, burmoss, and patches of sentient tulbos fungus that stretches beneath the ice, wollipeds clash their tusks together in competitions for dominance within a herd and as part of their mating displays.

Wollipeds use spitting as a form of communication as well as for defense. Most wollipeds only spit at one another, typically in the course of their tusk-clashing shows of dominance, but when threatened they can launch a nauseating wad of partially digested fodder at their attackers. Some trained wolliped mounts have honed this nature into a weapon guided by their riders.

Variants

The statistics above represent the most common breed of wolliped, a multitude of other breeds exist.

Carnivorous Wollipeds: Natives breed the best wollipeds for battle, with their steeds recognized worldwide as being the strongest and most aggressive. They are also the only known breed of wolliped that is carnivorous. Tribes here collect wolliped milk, fermenting it into a potent alcoholic beverage used for rituals, feasts, and holy days. Carnivorous wollipeds have the advanced simple template.

Miniature Wollipeds: Miniature wollipeds are quick and nimble, using these traits to elude the hordes of monsters threatening them. These variants are primarily used for fleece and food. In the summer, they grow to Medium size and their speed increases by 10 feet. Miniature wollipeds born in the harsh winter are size Small and have 2 fewer Hit Dice; their Strength and Constitution decreases by 2, and their Dexterity increases by 2.

Wolliped Companions

Starting Statistics: Size Medium; Speed 50 ft.; AC +1 natural armor, Attack gore (1d6); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.

7th-Level Adv.: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (1d8); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Abilities spit, trample.