The Strider herd
Elephants are one of the many species of animals living in Bravelands.
Official description[]
The most spiritual of the animals in the Bravelands , all elephants can glimpse the past through touching the bones of their ancestors. The past is very important to them, and they love sharing memories and stories. The herds are entirely female, apart from the male youngsters. They are egalitarian, with the herd making decisions together, and they all help raise the calves.
Society[]
Elephants live together in herds. As calves all elephants are born into a herd of adult females led a Matriarch. The Matriarch is the oldest and wisest female in the herd. Together the females care for the calves born into their herd. When male calves turn 14, they leave their birth herd and join a herd of bulls. The females remain with their birth herd. As adults, male and female elephants only gather together in order to mate. After the bull and female mate, they part ways and return to their herds. Due to males and females living in separate herds, elephant fathers don't play a role in their child's life. When a Matriarch dies in the female herd, the eldest elephant takes the former's place.
Migration[]
Both bull and cow elephant herds migrate to the Plain of Hearts to either seek out mates or reunite with elephants they already took as a mate.
Traditions[]
Courtship Battles[]
If a cow elephant has multiple lovers, and she cannot make up her mind who to pick as a mate, and the bulls all love her, as well, the bulls fight each other, in order to determine who will mate with the cow, who overlooks her lovers fighting each other.[1] The winning bull is the one who will mate with the cow elephant.[1]
A notable example of this is when two males, Rock and Boulder, duel to win River Marcher as their mate. However, River fell into the ravine and died, and the elephants believed the cause of her death to be Rock attacking her, making her fall into the ravine, because he lost control of himself. This resulted in Thunder and his herd-brothers banishing Rock from their herd.[1]
However, in The Spirit-Eaters, it is revealed that Rock never turned on River. Instead, she was pushed into the ravine, while attempting to save Rock and Boulder from falling to their deaths, themselves.[2]
Known herds/families[]
The Walker Bull Herd
Known elephants[]
Hurricane
Stone's Mother
Sunshine
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Shifting Shadows pg. ???
- ↑ The Spirit-Eaters: Page ???
Trivia[]
- In real life, bull elephants do not permanently reside in their bull herds. Instead, they join, and stay until they find a mate or leave several years later if they are still bachelors.
- Afterwards, bull elephants depart from their bachelor herds, they spend the rest of their lives as loners.
Gallery[]
