Braduk Rhino
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The Braduk Rhino is an animal used as a mount for the members of the Orcish Braduk clan.
((Original lore))
Discovery
In Aegis, when the Braduk Clan was just starting off, a village war had broken out between the Braduk village, Kenuk, and a rivalling village led by Braduk’s half-brother, Gorjol. Dishonourable raids were leaving Kenuk in ruins, and the Braduks needed an edge. Braduk discovered rhinos roaming the mountain pass. The problem was that they only stood around the height of the average Human, so they couldn’t support the weight of most Orcs. Braduk, however, still saw potential in the beasts’ sharp, sturdy horns and incredibly thick hides. After a short raid on Kenuk, Braduk decided to inspect the rhinos more closely. One was captured and brought to the village, and Braduk watched it stomp around in a pen for a while, pondering how the beasts could be used to their advantage.
Breeding
Braduk ordered for a few more to be captured, and started a breeding program in hopes of bigger, mountable rhinos to use in the Village Wars. He only bred the largest rhinos, which, at the time, weren’t much bigger than the average ones. Each generation was slightly larger than its parents, and as such the progress was painstakingly slow. It wouldn’t be until long after Braduk’s death that the rhinos would be big enough to ride. Two Chieftains after Braduk’s reign, Goregutz was finally pleased with the size and tried to mount the first Braduk Rhino.
Taming
At this point, the rhinos hadn’t been properly tamed yet. The larger ones were dangerous, and were kept locked up in caves situated not too far from the clan fort. Smaller ones were usually killed for meat and leather, though the clan was still eagerly awaiting the fruits of labour to be harvested from the massive Rhinos. Goregutz, as a show of strength and bravery, decided to try his luck with the only ten-foot rhino they had. He entered the pen with several other Orcs, and immediately the animal went berserk. It began to smash around, killing many that stood in its path, impaling and crushing the slowest of the Orcs with no more than a turn of its head. Goregutz, being one of the biggest, jumped at the rhino and mounted it. He grabbed it by its two long horns, holding on for his life as the Rhino tried it’s best to throw the Orc off its back. It bucked around like this for several minutes until it threw Goregutz off. The beast was tenacious, but so was Goregutz. He jumped back on the rhino, holding on even tighter, but even then he was bucked off multiple times. It took hours for it to tire out, and Goregutz barely outlasted it. Finally, the rhino grew tired and stopped. Exhausted just as much as the Rhino, Goregutz relaxed a bit, sitting on it calmly.
“Mi kall lat Gurtog,” said Goregutz.
The rhino grunted, and looked up at him with what resembled a look of respect.
Characteristics and Relation with Orcs
Braduk Rhinos have a diet consisting of grains, grasses and small plants. Usually the untamed rhinos are kept in a pen and fed their daily meals, but once paired with an Orc they are let free to roam and eat as they please. Stunted Rhinos, a somewhat common occurrence in Braduk forts due to the lack of grasses, are usually killed and processed. Their hide is used in armour, their horns sometimes sharpened into daggers, and their meat is cooked up in stews and casseroles, being too tough for any other meal.
The rhino’s most common colour is grey though rare sand coloured rhinos can be born. The very first rhinos were black, but as time went on their skin lightened through reproduction. It is unknown if a black rhino remains, the last being Ghazkull’s, and there has only been one recording of a white rhino.
During infancy, the Braduk rhino will have just a bump where the horns will develop. As they mature, they grow two horns; one directly in front of the other. The front horn is longer than the back horn, and usually reaches an average length of 47 inches (120 cm), while the second horn usually reaches 35 inches (90 cm). If a horn is cut off, it will take decades to re develop, and during the first couple days, the hole will remain. It is a lethal spot, and if stabbed will result in a fatality. It’s common practice for a Braduk to customize his rhino’s horns by sharpening them, overlaying them with iron, or sometimes carving his name or important symbols into them.
Their thick hides cover most of their body and legs. It’s too thick to be penetrated by arrows, but hard swung weapons are capable of breaking the bones of the beasts. On some occasions, an Orc will use rhino hide as a moderate substitute for leather armour, and the clan mothers have been known to replace an Orc’s flesh with a rhino’s in serious injuries to prevent infection. The rhino’s underbelly is loose fat, and is the weakest spot on their body, save for the soft flesh behind their large ears and underneath the horns.
The average Braduk rhino stands from 9–10 ft tall, and can weigh between 8,000-8,500 lbs. As a result of their incredible size, their speed is depressingly slow. Bursts of speed are not uncommon, however; a charging rhino is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 40 kmh (approx. 25 mph), with enough force to break through solid brick walls. Additionally, what Braduk Rhinos lack in speed they definitely make up in stamina, being capable of maintaining a constant speed for as much as a day without rest.
The Braduk Rhinos grow at about the same rate as a normal Orc does. When an Orc cub is born into the Braduks, a rhino will already be chosen for him by one of the Elders of the clan, usually one born at around the same time. At the age of ten an Orc is shown to the Rhino, and this is where they will be bonded for life. They must first gain each other’s honour by engaging in a klomp. The Orc must do as Goregutz did, and mount the rhino until it ceases retaliation. The Orc will name the rhino, and in turn, the rhino will name the Orc. The Braduk Rhinos have their own respected contingents and have their own names; communicating to each other using a series of grunts, snarls, grumbles and roars. The bond between a rhino and an Orc is strong, and one can rarely live without the other. After the two have been paired, the rhino will scar the Orc with its horn, and in turn the Orc will scar the rhino with his favoured weapon.
The Braduk rhino is extremely difficult to train and control due to their ferocity and their horrible eyesight. They’re known to charge upon the slightest provocation, and it’s rare that a particular rhino can be approached by anyone other than its familiar rider. As a result, an Orc must spend tremendous amounts of time familiarizing himself with the rhino he wishes to ride. Due to their foul tempers, the rhino will commonly go into a bloodthirsty fit during battle, requiring truly masterful skill for a rider to maintain control, and such fits can cause just as much damage to the rider’s enemies as to his friends. Because of their poor eyesight, the rhino must also rely heavily on its strong sense of smell, though this of course presents further difficulty in training and control; a stray scent sometimes causing a Braduk Rhino to plough through a nearby wall without warning.
