WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0140 0140
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Sanid once blackened the skies in the rugged, boulder-strewn badlands of the far southeastern realms,
unchallenged by any other large avian species. Their
size—a six-foot wingspan and weighing nearly twenty-five pounds—combined with speed and formidable
natural weapons allowed them to dominate the landscape. Left to their own devices, wild sanid hunt as they
have always hunted, circling on the hot desert updrafts,
patiently waiting for rock-dwelling lizards to show
themselves far below. Even large prey fall victim to their
razor-like claws and powerful beak. As quickly as possible, the victorious hunter carries its prize to a higher
perch to dine noisily, ripping flesh and sinew, in a more
defensible setting.
Penmai Nok have a visceral union with the sanid, summoning and commanding them with simple mental
and visual instructions. The avians willingly serve the
Penmai as carriers and messengers, but are not so easily
trained by other races.
Swafa
The smaller, swifter personal mount of choice carried
the Khitan peoples out of the southern plains and across
the face of the world. Swafa have ancient origins and
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have been bred specifically for riding since before the
rise of the Daragkarik. The ostrich-like savannah lizards
yet retain much of their wild savagery and temperament, even if biddable enough to ride.
They are quick on their hind feet, racing in long,
bounding strides through the desert, where their broad,
padded toes gain perfect traction. They are less effective on pavement, stone, or packed surfaces, where their
speed suffers unless they are shod; blacksmiths must
protect themselves with heavy gloves and masks and
then still drug the beasts just to have a fighting chance
to accomplish their ends.
Left to their own devices, swafa chirp when they run, a
high-pitched throaty whistle timed to their strides that
helps them identify each other in the wild. Many riders split their mounts’ tongues with razor sharp blades
to silence them permanently and to allow for more quiet
travel.
Swafa are not particularly fearsome beasts. They can
defend themselves with their fore claws and can bite to
ward off attackers. They never engage their hind legs or
tails in combat, relying instinctively on their speed for
defense and escape. When startled, they spit foam and
saliva in a drowning spray that can blind or otherwise
deter an enemy, further facilitating escape.
Swafa naturally flock together into groups of up to 80.
In the wild, their swift-moving flocks must be tracked
and culled to capture wild ones for domestication.
While many swafa are bred and raised domestically,
even these must be “broken” and trained in the same
manner as a wild swafa captured out on the dunes.
Even with a rider, a swafa’s flocking instinct kicks in,
and savvy riders know how to take best advantage of
it. As a result of this, swafa cavalry ride more closely
packed than any other mounted troops on Khitus; that
tight formation makes them the heaviest, densest cavalry on the battlefield.
Swafa also roost, establishing a home base properly
marked by their spit and feces. They return to it again
and again for rest and perceived protection. Provided
the animal is not disoriented or injured, a swafa will
make its way back to its roost, even if that takes several
days or weeks. They have the reputation of being a safe
resource, since they are seldom permanently lost and
even stolen swafa return to their home roosts eventually.
Swafa are carnivores and normally feed on a diet of
smaller creatures or meat of any kind, cooked or raw. In
addition, swafa will eat each other, preying on the flock’s
old and wounded. This feeding instinct can disrupt an
ongoing battle. A rider must exert his mastery over his
mount when it naturally lunges for a wounded comrade
or any other fresh meat on a battlefield.
