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Description
The Yale is a creature I am sure many are familiar with. A striking figure, impressive antlers and a gorgeous hide makes them impossible to ignore! They are also found in quite a few places, as they prefer grassy habitats in temperate climates. They have close relations to the cervid family, so they tend to be in environments where such creatures roam! They seek out places rich with ground level vegetation, as they are herbivorous. Grasses, leaves, fallen fruits and above ground vegetables are their preferred food, and they spend a lot of their time grazing. This plant based diet is occasionally supplemented by eating clay or even gnawing on old bones, as there are some nutrients you just can't get anywhere else! Yales tend to travel in groups, herding together for extra safety and to better secure ideal grazing lands. Young bachelor males may travel on their own, trying to find new lands and herds that they may take over. While they may gather in numbers, this does not mean that they are cowering creatures huddling together in fear! In fact, Yales are rather powerful members of their ecosystems, beasts that very few dare challenge!

The most noticeable and famous part of the Yale is obviously its fascinating antlers. These long curved blades with their sharp tines make for sleek weapons, but that is not all! Unlike other species, these bony protrusions are not rooted to a single spot! They are actually jointed and have musculature to them! Just a little ways up from the skull, you will see a joint that allows the rest of the antler to bend up and down. With this joint and a little rotational flexibility, the Yale can shift its antlers into different positions for certain instances. In their usual upright state, they serve as symbols of strength and prowess, intimidating predators and competitors. If a foe chooses to attack, they will drop these antlers into a lower position and turn them into thrusting swords! With both antlers slung below, it can stab and slash at enemies with its tines, capable of puncturing flesh and slicing skin! To make these weapons even stronger is the Yale's flexible neck and agile movements. By twisting its neck at the right time, it can swing its blades in from different angles and perform some crazy moves. They essentially become swordsmen, with all sorts of different approaches and strategies! You honestly have to see them fight to truly understand their skill, as it is wild to think such a creature can pull off such elegant attacks! It is no surprise that a full grown healthy bull has very little to challenge it! Only a starving predator would dare attack such a skilled adversary, and they may be eating a sharp antler for this desperate gamble!

Not only are they great for fighting off predators and squaring off with competitors, the antlers can be used for communication. By altering their position or moving them in certain intervals, they can signal their fellow brethren. Movements of their antlers and ears can combine to create some complex messages from one member to the other, like indicating where a hidden threat is lurking or conveying the status of certain members of the herd. Females also possess these jointed appendages, but they are much smaller than the males. Instead of the long branching blade, their bony limbs end in short spikes. These growths are not good for attacking, but they can still be used for signaling.

Though males possess these impressive antlers, they are not permanent. For a short part of the year, the ends of these weapons fall off and the Yale must regrow them. If you look closely at the antler past the joint, you will note a bulbous part of the antler. This is actually a pedestal, from where the rest of the sharp antler grows from. This is the spot where the old growths will break away and fall off, and where the new bone will begin to form. A film of velvety fur will grow around the pedestal, and it will stretch out to slowly create the new antler. Underneath this fur is where the bone forms, and it will shed this coating once it is ready. This allows them to slough off broken antlers and regrow new ones each year, ensuring that they have top shape weaponry every time!

Mating season is when the prowess and skill of the Yale really enters the spotlight. This time of the year is what the males of this species prepare for! As rut begins, their fuzzy antlers stop growing and their velvet falls off, revealing their famous bony blades! Once their antlers are ready, the bulls will seek out grassy fields and other open areas to set up shop. These locations make it easier for both males and females to spot each other, and it makes for a good stage to show off your moves! Once a suitable place is found, the male will let out a long, sharp bugle to call in nearby females. They will continue to do these vocalizations for hours on end, hoping that the ladies hear it and are enticed by it. Apparently female Yales can determine a lot from these calls, and they use them to locate the biggest and beefiest bull! Interested cows will seek out the caller and move in for a closer inspection. If they like what they hear AND see, then they will remain with the male. As time passes, a big healthy bull will start to build up a harem of viable females and this is when things get a bit tougher. Younger males will have a hard time securing an open area and their calls pale in comparison to the bigger bulls', so they instead roam during these ruts. They are looking for any viable female, and this usually means they target another bull's harem. They will try to sneak in and steal a cow from the larger male, which means the intruder must be scared off!

When another male comes to steal or challenge, the two will ready their antlers and fight! These duels are quite incredible to watch, as they don't just ram heads, they have a whole sparring match! They slash, stab and swipe at their opponent, frequently moving their antlers to block attacks, confuse their foe or target an open spot! Though these battles may seem intense and fierce, their goal is not to kill their enemy. Rather, they are targeting a specific spot on their neck. During the rut, a special sac located on their neck and chest will inflate to aid their vocalizations. This is how they create such loud, piercing calls, as they are forcing air through this finely tuned organ. While it is made of tough skin, it is vulnerable to the sharp tines of an opposing male! Sparring males seek to puncture this inflated organ, though it isn't nearly as painful as it sounds. Such an injury hardly affects the health of the male and the hole will heal itself back up within a few weeks. There is very little physical danger to come from such a wound but, during the rut, it is devastating. When the organ is punctured, it cannot function properly, much like how a drum cannot play right when you put a knife through its membrane. They will not be able to call out to females with the power and pitch that they like to hear, causing them to lose suitors. The pathetic yelps of a defeated bull is not at all attractive to a female, so the harem will look elsewhere if their potential mate is conquered. With this end result on the table, many bulls will bail out of a fight if they feel that they are starting to lose. Better to run and try again later than have your chances reduced to nil! So that is why you may see a bigger heftier bull run away during a scrap with a younger male, as they are sensing that they will be deflated and prefer to stay in the game!

Due to its elegant nature, skillful fighting style and impressive weaponry, the Yale is known quite well throughout the land and has become a respected symbol for many. In truth, I imagine more people have seen a Yale in family crests and heraldic symbols than those who have spotted a live one! In these sigils, the Yale is meant to symbolize both elegance and a fighting spirit. Such families that bear the likeness of the Yale are often into fencing, dueling and any hobby that involves weapons and finesse. When depicted in these crests, the Yale will often have one antler upright and the other slung down in attack mode, as it shows both sides of this noble beast. Yales are also big in the fencing community, for obvious reasons. They are used a lot in logos and competition names, and a few moves are actually named after them! For high up nobles and fancy aristocrats who take on this sport, they tend to use Yale antlers to craft the handle of their favorite foil, saber or epee. These specially made weapons are said to have the power and skill of the Yale infused into them, making them valuable and widely sought after. Those who wield them are masters of this art and are some of the finest swordsmen around, or so they say. I have seen some of these folk who own these weapons, and I can't say I am impressed. Pretty sure those fancy fools didn't even kill the beast themselves to make their expensive toy, just had their servants do it for them. I bet I could take them down with just a hefty stick, and maybe whack some humbleness into them.

Going with the subject of fencing and finesse, Yales are sometimes associated with romantic adventurers, chivalrous swordsmen and swashbucklers. These creatures are said to capture the spirit of honor and chivalry that comes from such folk, especially with their famous duels. There is definitely some romantic literature out with such references, as I recall some stories starring the "Cerulean Yale" and his incredible adventures of dueling pompous aristocrats and winning over the swooning maidens. There are a chunk of young gentlemen who try to replicate such deeds in real life, an act I certainly don't recommend. They like the idea of fighting for the love of a woman, which is just like the noble Yale (though they tend to leave out the whole "harem" part of Yale courtship, and I don't think it is because they disagree with such a notion. You are going to want to avoid these wannabe swashbucklers, ladies. Something tells me all that chivalry and sweet-talking only lasts for so long). Another obvious thing that folks admire about the Yale is their impressive antlers, which make for breathtaking trophies and decoration. Pretty much any recreational hunter that walks the surface world has a Yale on their hit list, as every one of them want a pair of those long antlers on their mantle. This has led to over-hunting of certain Yale populations, and their massive range has diminished a bit due to this. Thankfully, the Yale is such a revered symbol that some regions and lands have put the species under protection and have placed restrictions to their hunting. One can still bag one of these beasts, but only during certain seasons and through the right channels. This has helped some populations recover, so I am grateful for that! The other thing that helped protect their populations a bit is the fact that Yales do not go down without a fight! The young and old may flee from hunters, but full grown bulls are quick to stand their ground. With their wicked antlers, they will charge a hunter and try to cut them down. Sharp bone, powerful legs and a hefty weight makes them a formidable adversary that can gore the foolish and unprepared. Those who hunt Yale should do so on foot, as many who hunt by horseback have wound up with their trusty steed being gutted by a swiveling blade. Being a smaller target makes it easier to dodge their attacks or, better yet, allows you to climb a tree and fire from above. Tree stands are the recommended method of hunting Yale, as it keeps you out of antler range. However, you will have to be sure to bring the beast down fast, because once it realizes you are out of range, it will turn tail and run off! Well, some times it will run off. Yales can be tricky creatures, and a bull may feign a retreat to lure you out of the tree. There are some poor souls who have left the safety of their stand to pursue their quarry only to have it burst from the foliage and drive an antler right through their gut! Yowch!

On an interesting note, some folk have sought to benefit from this restricted hunting out in the wild and have tried to set up game ranches for Yale hunters. By raising them on personal property, there were no rules to how or when to hunt these creatures. For the right price any one could come in and hunt a big bull any time. It would be quite the lucrative business, until an interesting flaw showed up. As time went on and Yales grew, the antlers began to change. With each shedding and regrowth, the sleek curves and sharp tines started to warp and twist. The beautiful weapons everyone wanted were now gnarled and unattractive, and they were coming out stunted too! No one wanted a nasty looking trophy like that, so business quickly sank. Turns out that captive Yales are missing a special component to their diet or lifestyle that affects their antler growth. With the owners providing them with endless food and safety to ensure big trophies, the Yales had very little competition or danger to deal with. So perhaps the lack of stressors causes the antlers to lose their purpose, and thus they do not grow properly. Further study has to go into this subject, and it is a rather fascinating one! Well, to me it is. To the folks who invested in these big game ranches and lost a whole lot of money to these faulty Yales, it isn't so interesting. Maybe you guys should get more into research before dumping big money into such things! Understanding the animals you are trying to keep and care for seems kind of crucial to me! Perhaps then you would come to the conclusion that keeping a giant armored territorial pig monster that is famous for being insanely aggressive and destructive is an incredibly bad idea BEFORE it tears through your fence and devours the ecosystem! IDIOTS!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

----------------------------------------------------------

Was looking to make some more mammals and was running through ideas. I liked the design of a deer/elk creature that had jointed antlers that could move like limbs. Further research found that the mythical Yale was a beast that could rotate its horns, so I decided to use that, but added some extra stuff to it. Something tells me that this family is going to get some additions over time, as I can already think of some fun variants!

Also this has taken way more time to write than I imagined! Every time I thought I was done I recalled another fact! Goodness it has been hours! (And I probably still missed stuff)

Description
The Yale is a creature I am sure many are familiar with. A striking figure, impressive antlers and a gorgeous hide makes them impossible to ignore! They are also found in quite a few places, as they prefer grassy habitats in temperate climates. They have close relations to the cervid family, so they tend to be in environments where such creatures roam! They seek out places rich with ground level vegetation, as they are herbivorous. Grasses, leaves, fallen fruits and above ground vegetables are their preferred food, and they spend a lot of their time grazing. This plant based diet is occasionally supplemented by eating clay or even gnawing on old bones, as there are some nutrients you just can't get anywhere else! Yales tend to travel in groups, herding together for extra safety and to better secure ideal grazing lands. Young bachelor males may travel on their own, trying to find new lands and herds that they may take over. While they may gather in numbers, this does not mean that they are cowering creatures huddling together in fear! In fact, Yales are rather powerful members of their ecosystems, beasts that very few dare challenge!

The most noticeable and famous part of the Yale is obviously its fascinating antlers. These long curved blades with their sharp tines make for sleek weapons, but that is not all! Unlike other species, these bony protrusions are not rooted to a single spot! They are actually jointed and have musculature to them! Just a little ways up from the skull, you will see a joint that allows the rest of the antler to bend up and down. With this joint and a little rotational flexibility, the Yale can shift its antlers into different positions for certain instances. In their usual upright state, they serve as symbols of strength and prowess, intimidating predators and competitors. If a foe chooses to attack, they will drop these antlers into a lower position and turn them into thrusting swords! With both antlers slung below, it can stab and slash at enemies with its tines, capable of puncturing flesh and slicing skin! To make these weapons even stronger is the Yale's flexible neck and agile movements. By twisting its neck at the right time, it can swing its blades in from different angles and perform some crazy moves. They essentially become swordsmen, with all sorts of different approaches and strategies! You honestly have to see them fight to truly understand their skill, as it is wild to think such a creature can pull off such elegant attacks! It is no surprise that a full grown healthy bull has very little to challenge it! Only a starving predator would dare attack such a skilled adversary, and they may be eating a sharp antler for this desperate gamble!

Not only are they great for fighting off predators and squaring off with competitors, the antlers can be used for communication. By altering their position or moving them in certain intervals, they can signal their fellow brethren. Movements of their antlers and ears can combine to create some complex messages from one member to the other, like indicating where a hidden threat is lurking or conveying the status of certain members of the herd. Females also possess these jointed appendages, but they are much smaller than the males. Instead of the long branching blade, their bony limbs end in short spikes. These growths are not good for attacking, but they can still be used for signaling.

Though males possess these impressive antlers, they are not permanent. For a short part of the year, the ends of these weapons fall off and the Yale must regrow them. If you look closely at the antler past the joint, you will note a bulbous part of the antler. This is actually a pedestal, from where the rest of the sharp antler grows from. This is the spot where the old growths will break away and fall off, and where the new bone will begin to form. A film of velvety fur will grow around the pedestal, and it will stretch out to slowly create the new antler. Underneath this fur is where the bone forms, and it will shed this coating once it is ready. This allows them to slough off broken antlers and regrow new ones each year, ensuring that they have top shape weaponry every time!

Mating season is when the prowess and skill of the Yale really enters the spotlight. This time of the year is what the males of this species prepare for! As rut begins, their fuzzy antlers stop growing and their velvet falls off, revealing their famous bony blades! Once their antlers are ready, the bulls will seek out grassy fields and other open areas to set up shop. These locations make it easier for both males and females to spot each other, and it makes for a good stage to show off your moves! Once a suitable place is found, the male will let out a long, sharp bugle to call in nearby females. They will continue to do these vocalizations for hours on end, hoping that the ladies hear it and are enticed by it. Apparently female Yales can determine a lot from these calls, and they use them to locate the biggest and beefiest bull! Interested cows will seek out the caller and move in for a closer inspection. If they like what they hear AND see, then they will remain with the male. As time passes, a big healthy bull will start to build up a harem of viable females and this is when things get a bit tougher. Younger males will have a hard time securing an open area and their calls pale in comparison to the bigger bulls', so they instead roam during these ruts. They are looking for any viable female, and this usually means they target another bull's harem. They will try to sneak in and steal a cow from the larger male, which means the intruder must be scared off!

When another male comes to steal or challenge, the two will ready their antlers and fight! These duels are quite incredible to watch, as they don't just ram heads, they have a whole sparring match! They slash, stab and swipe at their opponent, frequently moving their antlers to block attacks, confuse their foe or target an open spot! Though these battles may seem intense and fierce, their goal is not to kill their enemy. Rather, they are targeting a specific spot on their neck. During the rut, a special sac located on their neck and chest will inflate to aid their vocalizations. This is how they create such loud, piercing calls, as they are forcing air through this finely tuned organ. While it is made of tough skin, it is vulnerable to the sharp tines of an opposing male! Sparring males seek to puncture this inflated organ, though it isn't nearly as painful as it sounds. Such an injury hardly affects the health of the male and the hole will heal itself back up within a few weeks. There is very little physical danger to come from such a wound but, during the rut, it is devastating. When the organ is punctured, it cannot function properly, much like how a drum cannot play right when you put a knife through its membrane. They will not be able to call out to females with the power and pitch that they like to hear, causing them to lose suitors. The pathetic yelps of a defeated bull is not at all attractive to a female, so the harem will look elsewhere if their potential mate is conquered. With this end result on the table, many bulls will bail out of a fight if they feel that they are starting to lose. Better to run and try again later than have your chances reduced to nil! So that is why you may see a bigger heftier bull run away during a scrap with a younger male, as they are sensing that they will be deflated and prefer to stay in the game!

Due to its elegant nature, skillful fighting style and impressive weaponry, the Yale is known quite well throughout the land and has become a respected symbol for many. In truth, I imagine more people have seen a Yale in family crests and heraldic symbols than those who have spotted a live one! In these sigils, the Yale is meant to symbolize both elegance and a fighting spirit. Such families that bear the likeness of the Yale are often into fencing, dueling and any hobby that involves weapons and finesse. When depicted in these crests, the Yale will often have one antler upright and the other slung down in attack mode, as it shows both sides of this noble beast. Yales are also big in the fencing community, for obvious reasons. They are used a lot in logos and competition names, and a few moves are actually named after them! For high up nobles and fancy aristocrats who take on this sport, they tend to use Yale antlers to craft the handle of their favorite foil, saber or epee. These specially made weapons are said to have the power and skill of the Yale infused into them, making them valuable and widely sought after. Those who wield them are masters of this art and are some of the finest swordsmen around, or so they say. I have seen some of these folk who own these weapons, and I can't say I am impressed. Pretty sure those fancy fools didn't even kill the beast themselves to make their expensive toy, just had their servants do it for them. I bet I could take them down with just a hefty stick, and maybe whack some humbleness into them.

Going with the subject of fencing and finesse, Yales are sometimes associated with romantic adventurers, chivalrous swordsmen and swashbucklers. These creatures are said to capture the spirit of honor and chivalry that comes from such folk, especially with their famous duels. There is definitely some romantic literature out with such references, as I recall some stories starring the "Cerulean Yale" and his incredible adventures of dueling pompous aristocrats and winning over the swooning maidens. There are a chunk of young gentlemen who try to replicate such deeds in real life, an act I certainly don't recommend. They like the idea of fighting for the love of a woman, which is just like the noble Yale (though they tend to leave out the whole "harem" part of Yale courtship, and I don't think it is because they disagree with such a notion. You are going to want to avoid these wannabe swashbucklers, ladies. Something tells me all that chivalry and sweet-talking only lasts for so long). Another obvious thing that folks admire about the Yale is their impressive antlers, which make for breathtaking trophies and decoration. Pretty much any recreational hunter that walks the surface world has a Yale on their hit list, as every one of them want a pair of those long antlers on their mantle. This has led to over-hunting of certain Yale populations, and their massive range has diminished a bit due to this. Thankfully, the Yale is such a revered symbol that some regions and lands have put the species under protection and have placed restrictions to their hunting. One can still bag one of these beasts, but only during certain seasons and through the right channels. This has helped some populations recover, so I am grateful for that! The other thing that helped protect their populations a bit is the fact that Yales do not go down without a fight! The young and old may flee from hunters, but full grown bulls are quick to stand their ground. With their wicked antlers, they will charge a hunter and try to cut them down. Sharp bone, powerful legs and a hefty weight makes them a formidable adversary that can gore the foolish and unprepared. Those who hunt Yale should do so on foot, as many who hunt by horseback have wound up with their trusty steed being gutted by a swiveling blade. Being a smaller target makes it easier to dodge their attacks or, better yet, allows you to climb a tree and fire from above. Tree stands are the recommended method of hunting Yale, as it keeps you out of antler range. However, you will have to be sure to bring the beast down fast, because once it realizes you are out of range, it will turn tail and run off! Well, some times it will run off. Yales can be tricky creatures, and a bull may feign a retreat to lure you out of the tree. There are some poor souls who have left the safety of their stand to pursue their quarry only to have it burst from the foliage and drive an antler right through their gut! Yowch!

On an interesting note, some folk have sought to benefit from this restricted hunting out in the wild and have tried to set up game ranches for Yale hunters. By raising them on personal property, there were no rules to how or when to hunt these creatures. For the right price any one could come in and hunt a big bull any time. It would be quite the lucrative business, until an interesting flaw showed up. As time went on and Yales grew, the antlers began to change. With each shedding and regrowth, the sleek curves and sharp tines started to warp and twist. The beautiful weapons everyone wanted were now gnarled and unattractive, and they were coming out stunted too! No one wanted a nasty looking trophy like that, so business quickly sank. Turns out that captive Yales are missing a special component to their diet or lifestyle that affects their antler growth. With the owners providing them with endless food and safety to ensure big trophies, the Yales had very little competition or danger to deal with. So perhaps the lack of stressors causes the antlers to lose their purpose, and thus they do not grow properly. Further study has to go into this subject, and it is a rather fascinating one! Well, to me it is. To the folks who invested in these big game ranches and lost a whole lot of money to these faulty Yales, it isn't so interesting. Maybe you guys should get more into research before dumping big money into such things! Understanding the animals you are trying to keep and care for seems kind of crucial to me! Perhaps then you would come to the conclusion that keeping a giant armored territorial pig monster that is famous for being insanely aggressive and destructive is an incredibly bad idea BEFORE it tears through your fence and devours the ecosystem! IDIOTS!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

----------------------------------------------------------

Was looking to make some more mammals and was running through ideas. I liked the design of a deer/elk creature that had jointed antlers that could move like limbs. Further research found that the mythical Yale was a beast that could rotate its horns, so I decided to use that, but added some extra stuff to it. Something tells me that this family is going to get some additions over time, as I can already think of some fun variants!

Also this has taken way more time to write than I imagined! Every time I thought I was done I recalled another fact! Goodness it has been hours! (And I probably still missed stuff)