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Description
An assortment of mammals native to the mysterious and dangerous homeland of the elves. Aside from the elves, the majority of mammals on this extensive continent are either marsupials or monotremes.

----Unicorn----

Native to the redwood forests of the northern elven continent and the elven north, the unicorn is a large herbivorous marsupial, and arguably one of the most iconic animals of the elven continent.

Their distinctive white coat makes them easily visible in the forest environment, but that's actually the intention: Its colouration is a warning to potential predators, indicating that the unicorn is dangerous.
And it certainly is. The flesh and blood of a unicorn carries an unbreakable curse, that condemns any animal foolish enough to eat it to boil alive or even burst into flames when exposed to sunlight. This curse on the unicorn's innards even remains active and deadly to all animals for up to two weeks after the herbivore's death!

The only natural predator of the unicorn is the troll, that has actually evolved a near total immunity to magic in order to be able to safely eat unicorns. But despite not being able to affect their only natural predator with magic, and sticking out like a sore thumb, unicorns also have a long, sharp, bladelike but surprisingly strong keratin horn on their heads, that they use in self-defence if they can't run away in time. Larger and more aggressive, male unicorns are more likely to fight back than females.

Unicorns usually live in small herds of 2-7, consisting of one alpha male and several females (not counting joeys). They are opportunistic browsers and grazers that can feed on a wide variety of different plants ranging from grass to small trees (their favourites are birch, beech, rhododendron and oak). Being closely related to bipedal kangaroos and wallabies, unicorns are able to temporarily stand on their hind legs to feed on higher vegetation, as long as they have a strong enough tree trunk on which to rest their front feet. Having only one natural predator, unicorns don't scare as easily as deer or horses, though they aren't completely stupid. Females are generally docile and easy-going, while males can often be somewhat unpredictable (especially during mating season, or when around other males).

Unicorns have been domesticated by the elves and used as mounts for milennia. Able to reach speeds of 40 km/hour and navigate forest terrain far more easily than horses, they have been brought along wherever the elves have gone.

There are feral populations of them in the Beastbanner Kingdoms (which were under elven rule following the defeat of Drysanur) as a result of elven occupation. As trolls are few and far between in that part of the world, the unicorn population is essentially growing unchecked. Although they prefer the smaller, more lightweight elves, unicorns are technically able to carry humans on their backs, as long as they aren't too heavily armoured.

----Faldi (marsupial camel)----

Native to the deserts and open dry grasslands of the northern elven continent, the marsupial camel (or "faldi" in colonial elvish) is a large herbivorous marsupial somewhere between a kangaroo and a Diprotodon, evolutionarily speaking.
Large herds of these animals migrate between oases and meager rivers, in search of water and vegetation.
In a case of convergent evolution with the placental camels of Taznajecha and east Jassa, the faldi has many similar adaptations to desert life, most notably a series of fatty humps along its back
Its face is optimized for the climate, with large blood-rich ears for cooling off, darker colouration near its eyes to reduce the oppressive glare of the sun, lighter skin and very short fur on its back to reflect sunlight, and a pair of odd-looking skin flaps along the sides of the neck that help it lose even more heat, and keep sand out of its eyes.
Large, wide feet act like snow shoes and keep it from sinking in loose sand.
Its lips have especially thick and leathery skin, perfect for dealing with the sharp, hard, scratchy euphorbes and other tough desert plants.

The faldi - especially when young - has a few natural predators, including the Burrunjor, the giant flesh-tearing Myrmekes ants, the hypnotic Nachtkrapp bird, and a bizarre plant commonly known as "hungry grass" or "desert anus".

----Snowbeast----

Native to the Arctic tundras (especially the elven north, but also the Teinentelmhaas), the snowbeast is a type of large herbivorous marsupial related to the marsupial camel and more distantly the unicorn. It travels in herds of about 5 - 50 for safety, and each herd is led by an alpha bull.
The snowbeast has multiple adaptations to living in the Arctic. Wide hairy feet keep it from sinking too far in to deep snow, tiny ears reduce heat loss, an enlarged nose filters the frigid air as it breathes, a fatty "overhang" keeps snow out of its eyes, its dark face reduces the effect of snow blindness, and a large fatty hump allows it to survive hard times and safely migrate across the barren Arctic deserts of the elven north.
Like a unicorn, it has a large rhino-like horn on its head composed of thickened hair, that it uses to gore potential predators. The snowbeast is prey for most large carnivores in the Arctic, such as wolves, polar bears, greatbears, giants, and trolls.

A bad-tempered creature at the best of times, the snowbeast has only ever been domesticated once, by the now-extinct elven civilization of the northernmost elven north. They are still used to this day by the local Teinenlidis people on that part of the continent, who moved into the boreal elven kingdoms there after the trolls drove out the native elves.

----Bunyip----

Native to many parts of the elven continent, the bunyip is a large monotreme mammal that lives in rivers, lakes, swamps and other freshwater environments.
It feeds mainly on crayfish, clams and other hard-shelled prey, that it breaks into with its robust tusks.

The bunyip produces a psycho-magical aura at all times, that has a unique effect on any other nearby creatures except other bunyips, as well as trolls:
No matter how hard they focus on it, other animals won't be able to remember exactly what the bunyip looks, sounds or smells like. They'll have a rough idea of what it looks like, but if they lose track of it, their memory will get more and more details wrong over time until they are either led on a wild goose chase, or fail to recognize the bunyip as a threat.

However, if this effect fails then the bunyip also has an emergency defence mechanism:
Multiple rows of razor-sharp barbs line the edges of its flippers and tail fluke, each connected to a gland that secretes a potent venom cocktail.
The venom acts not unlike botulism, paralyzing the victim's entire body leading to death by respiratory failure.
The chemicals also inflict pain so excruciating that occasionlly victims with low pain tolerance may either pass out or in some cases actually die from shock-induced heart attack even before the body is fully paralyzed!

The bunyip is also aggressively territorial, even pursuing perceived threats short distances onto land. ALthough its slow gait out of water makes actual fatalities for land animals unlikely, the fear combined with the rapidly deteriorating memory of the creature in the victim's mind will make them subconsciously exaggerate the beast into an absolute monster.

----Troll----

Originally evolving in the temperate regions of the northern elven continent from herbivorous koala-like marsupial ancestors, modern trolls are huge, nocturnal, mostly carnivorous predatory omnivores that are found on many northern continents.
Trolls are suited to many different environments:
They can gallop on all fours, run on two legs, swim decently well, and predictably based on their arboreal ancestry, they are also master climbers.
A common hunting tactic of trolls is to scale the trunk of a massive redwood, hang on the side of it for a few hours (using their formidable hooked claws and great strength), and then drop down on top of unsuspecting prey.
Trolls have some of the longest noses relative to body size of any marsupial, with long, sideways-facing rows of smell receptors that allow them to pinpoint exactly where a scent is coming from.

The troll's most impressive feature however, is its complete and utter immunity to direct incoming magic (or at least, magic as humans and elves understand it...).
They are also immune to telepathy and most psychic trickery, though the joeys can sometimes be (unreliably) affected by telekinesis.
The trolls evolved this ability in order to be able to hunt unicorns (they are the unicorn's only natural predator). Any individuals who were affected by the unicorn curse burst into flames, died, and never passed on their genes.

Some elven terminology of trolls (or "trönil"):
A male troll is called a "trönilskri".
A female troll is called a "trönilskessa".
A baby troll still in its mother's pouch is called a "trönilsjóð"
And a troll that has left its mother's pouch is called a "trönilsærsl".

Trolls are unusual among marsupials in that they raise multiple joeys at once (usually around 3-5 at a time), which leave the pouch at a surprisingly young age.
These trönilsærsl start rather low in the food chain, but gradually work their way up to apex predator status as adults.

Within the past 200-300 years or so, trolls have suddenly started becoming more and more intelligent on a species-wide scale.
They have been sighted using tools, and occasionally even handling fire!
Trolls are also starting to develop an unnatural taste for elf flesh, and small roving bands of them have decimated multiple settlements on the elven continent, overwhelming the largely magic-specialized elven military with their immunities, and either tearing apart and stuffing their faces with the screaming elves, or cramming them in crude baskets (or even sacks) to take back to their lairs for later.

A superstitious person might call this the wrath of the gods, but in actuality this is probably the work of the local faefolk, interdimensional beings of such unfathomable magical power that they have been able to bypass even the anti-magic defences of the trolls, and change them.
In typical fairy fashion, their motives for this remain a mystery...

----Moli----

The moli is a surprisingly harmless little burrowing nocturnal marsupial native to the deserts and dry mountains of the northern elven continent.
Although technically an omnivore, it prefers insects, especially termites and cockroaches.
It has a temperament similar to that of a hamster, and purrs like a cat when happy.

They are very commonly kept by the elves and serve many purposes, including pet, pest controller, and in some societies even lunch!
It is sometimes described by humans as a "mock walrus" or "rock walrus" due to its wrinkled leathery skin and pudgy body.

Description
An assortment of mammals native to the mysterious and dangerous homeland of the elves. Aside from the elves, the majority of mammals on this extensive continent are either marsupials or monotremes.

----Unicorn----

Native to the redwood forests of the northern elven continent and the elven north, the unicorn is a large herbivorous marsupial, and arguably one of the most iconic animals of the elven continent.

Their distinctive white coat makes them easily visible in the forest environment, but that's actually the intention: Its colouration is a warning to potential predators, indicating that the unicorn is dangerous.
And it certainly is. The flesh and blood of a unicorn carries an unbreakable curse, that condemns any animal foolish enough to eat it to boil alive or even burst into flames when exposed to sunlight. This curse on the unicorn's innards even remains active and deadly to all animals for up to two weeks after the herbivore's death!

The only natural predator of the unicorn is the troll, that has actually evolved a near total immunity to magic in order to be able to safely eat unicorns. But despite not being able to affect their only natural predator with magic, and sticking out like a sore thumb, unicorns also have a long, sharp, bladelike but surprisingly strong keratin horn on their heads, that they use in self-defence if they can't run away in time. Larger and more aggressive, male unicorns are more likely to fight back than females.

Unicorns usually live in small herds of 2-7, consisting of one alpha male and several females (not counting joeys). They are opportunistic browsers and grazers that can feed on a wide variety of different plants ranging from grass to small trees (their favourites are birch, beech, rhododendron and oak). Being closely related to bipedal kangaroos and wallabies, unicorns are able to temporarily stand on their hind legs to feed on higher vegetation, as long as they have a strong enough tree trunk on which to rest their front feet. Having only one natural predator, unicorns don't scare as easily as deer or horses, though they aren't completely stupid. Females are generally docile and easy-going, while males can often be somewhat unpredictable (especially during mating season, or when around other males).

Unicorns have been domesticated by the elves and used as mounts for milennia. Able to reach speeds of 40 km/hour and navigate forest terrain far more easily than horses, they have been brought along wherever the elves have gone.

There are feral populations of them in the Beastbanner Kingdoms (which were under elven rule following the defeat of Drysanur) as a result of elven occupation. As trolls are few and far between in that part of the world, the unicorn population is essentially growing unchecked. Although they prefer the smaller, more lightweight elves, unicorns are technically able to carry humans on their backs, as long as they aren't too heavily armoured.

----Faldi (marsupial camel)----

Native to the deserts and open dry grasslands of the northern elven continent, the marsupial camel (or "faldi" in colonial elvish) is a large herbivorous marsupial somewhere between a kangaroo and a Diprotodon, evolutionarily speaking.
Large herds of these animals migrate between oases and meager rivers, in search of water and vegetation.
In a case of convergent evolution with the placental camels of Taznajecha and east Jassa, the faldi has many similar adaptations to desert life, most notably a series of fatty humps along its back
Its face is optimized for the climate, with large blood-rich ears for cooling off, darker colouration near its eyes to reduce the oppressive glare of the sun, lighter skin and very short fur on its back to reflect sunlight, and a pair of odd-looking skin flaps along the sides of the neck that help it lose even more heat, and keep sand out of its eyes.
Large, wide feet act like snow shoes and keep it from sinking in loose sand.
Its lips have especially thick and leathery skin, perfect for dealing with the sharp, hard, scratchy euphorbes and other tough desert plants.

The faldi - especially when young - has a few natural predators, including the Burrunjor, the giant flesh-tearing Myrmekes ants, the hypnotic Nachtkrapp bird, and a bizarre plant commonly known as "hungry grass" or "desert anus".

----Snowbeast----

Native to the Arctic tundras (especially the elven north, but also the Teinentelmhaas), the snowbeast is a type of large herbivorous marsupial related to the marsupial camel and more distantly the unicorn. It travels in herds of about 5 - 50 for safety, and each herd is led by an alpha bull.
The snowbeast has multiple adaptations to living in the Arctic. Wide hairy feet keep it from sinking too far in to deep snow, tiny ears reduce heat loss, an enlarged nose filters the frigid air as it breathes, a fatty "overhang" keeps snow out of its eyes, its dark face reduces the effect of snow blindness, and a large fatty hump allows it to survive hard times and safely migrate across the barren Arctic deserts of the elven north.
Like a unicorn, it has a large rhino-like horn on its head composed of thickened hair, that it uses to gore potential predators. The snowbeast is prey for most large carnivores in the Arctic, such as wolves, polar bears, greatbears, giants, and trolls.

A bad-tempered creature at the best of times, the snowbeast has only ever been domesticated once, by the now-extinct elven civilization of the northernmost elven north. They are still used to this day by the local Teinenlidis people on that part of the continent, who moved into the boreal elven kingdoms there after the trolls drove out the native elves.

----Bunyip----

Native to many parts of the elven continent, the bunyip is a large monotreme mammal that lives in rivers, lakes, swamps and other freshwater environments.
It feeds mainly on crayfish, clams and other hard-shelled prey, that it breaks into with its robust tusks.

The bunyip produces a psycho-magical aura at all times, that has a unique effect on any other nearby creatures except other bunyips, as well as trolls:
No matter how hard they focus on it, other animals won't be able to remember exactly what the bunyip looks, sounds or smells like. They'll have a rough idea of what it looks like, but if they lose track of it, their memory will get more and more details wrong over time until they are either led on a wild goose chase, or fail to recognize the bunyip as a threat.

However, if this effect fails then the bunyip also has an emergency defence mechanism:
Multiple rows of razor-sharp barbs line the edges of its flippers and tail fluke, each connected to a gland that secretes a potent venom cocktail.
The venom acts not unlike botulism, paralyzing the victim's entire body leading to death by respiratory failure.
The chemicals also inflict pain so excruciating that occasionlly victims with low pain tolerance may either pass out or in some cases actually die from shock-induced heart attack even before the body is fully paralyzed!

The bunyip is also aggressively territorial, even pursuing perceived threats short distances onto land. ALthough its slow gait out of water makes actual fatalities for land animals unlikely, the fear combined with the rapidly deteriorating memory of the creature in the victim's mind will make them subconsciously exaggerate the beast into an absolute monster.

----Troll----

Originally evolving in the temperate regions of the northern elven continent from herbivorous koala-like marsupial ancestors, modern trolls are huge, nocturnal, mostly carnivorous predatory omnivores that are found on many northern continents.
Trolls are suited to many different environments:
They can gallop on all fours, run on two legs, swim decently well, and predictably based on their arboreal ancestry, they are also master climbers.
A common hunting tactic of trolls is to scale the trunk of a massive redwood, hang on the side of it for a few hours (using their formidable hooked claws and great strength), and then drop down on top of unsuspecting prey.
Trolls have some of the longest noses relative to body size of any marsupial, with long, sideways-facing rows of smell receptors that allow them to pinpoint exactly where a scent is coming from.

The troll's most impressive feature however, is its complete and utter immunity to direct incoming magic (or at least, magic as humans and elves understand it...).
They are also immune to telepathy and most psychic trickery, though the joeys can sometimes be (unreliably) affected by telekinesis.
The trolls evolved this ability in order to be able to hunt unicorns (they are the unicorn's only natural predator). Any individuals who were affected by the unicorn curse burst into flames, died, and never passed on their genes.

Some elven terminology of trolls (or "trönil"):
A male troll is called a "trönilskri".
A female troll is called a "trönilskessa".
A baby troll still in its mother's pouch is called a "trönilsjóð"
And a troll that has left its mother's pouch is called a "trönilsærsl".

Trolls are unusual among marsupials in that they raise multiple joeys at once (usually around 3-5 at a time), which leave the pouch at a surprisingly young age.
These trönilsærsl start rather low in the food chain, but gradually work their way up to apex predator status as adults.

Within the past 200-300 years or so, trolls have suddenly started becoming more and more intelligent on a species-wide scale.
They have been sighted using tools, and occasionally even handling fire!
Trolls are also starting to develop an unnatural taste for elf flesh, and small roving bands of them have decimated multiple settlements on the elven continent, overwhelming the largely magic-specialized elven military with their immunities, and either tearing apart and stuffing their faces with the screaming elves, or cramming them in crude baskets (or even sacks) to take back to their lairs for later.

A superstitious person might call this the wrath of the gods, but in actuality this is probably the work of the local faefolk, interdimensional beings of such unfathomable magical power that they have been able to bypass even the anti-magic defences of the trolls, and change them.
In typical fairy fashion, their motives for this remain a mystery...

----Moli----

The moli is a surprisingly harmless little burrowing nocturnal marsupial native to the deserts and dry mountains of the northern elven continent.
Although technically an omnivore, it prefers insects, especially termites and cockroaches.
It has a temperament similar to that of a hamster, and purrs like a cat when happy.

They are very commonly kept by the elves and serve many purposes, including pet, pest controller, and in some societies even lunch!
It is sometimes described by humans as a "mock walrus" or "rock walrus" due to its wrinkled leathery skin and pudgy body.