#guars

A new take on colors of this guar rider :3 Old version:

TESFEST Prompt: secret or golden.

Do you love guars?

Would you protect guars?

GUAR OVERVIEW

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

Guars (pronounced “g’wars”) are the reptilian, steadfast, mounts of Tamriel. Guars are built like a stunted Tyrannosaurus Rex, with a large, thick tail, used for balance, thick, short, hind legs, used for heightened jumping performance, small, useless arms, and a large, wide mouth, for consuming vast quantities of food, and biting predators. Their hide is thick, with self-moistening scales. They are bipedal, and roughly the size of a haystack. Their internal organs are similar to most basic reptile organs.

Guars come in many varieties, and are related to kagoutis, and alits, and Worm-mouths. Despite the name, Bantam Guars are not related to guars, and are instead in the scuttler family. There is also a subspecies of guar, the Hollowjack Rider Guar, which is a guar native to Detritus, a half-world run by Hollowjack.

Most guars are kept as pack animals, or farm animals. Some adventurers use them as mounts, while others walk, while their guar carries their possessions. On a farm, guars are kept until grown, where they are harvested for their thick hides, and meat. Females are also kept for their milk, which they produce despite being reptiles. Guar meat is said to be juicy, and sweet, and the guts can be used for fish bait. Guar hide is thick, and makes medium weight armour, with good protection. Guar eggs are edible, but it is not common to see them served.

Guars are considered popular and useful animals by many, but especially in Morrowind, where they are kept as pets, and there is even a tavern in Mournhold, called “The Winged Guar”.

GUAR CARE

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

Guars are omnivores, and eat small animals, and plants. They eat large quantities of food at a time, and are known to love eating rodents. In farms, they eat mainly hay, and rodents, but in the wild, they eat grasses, and other common flora and fauna. The are intolerant to Scathecraw, and any hard to digest food will put them at risk of a colon infection, due to their weak guts.

Guars must be trained, and taken care of. Guars are trained best like dogs, with reward systems, and repetitive action. Training a pack guar takes roughly a week, and training a mount takes about a month, as they may be aggressive at first. Guars scales must be kept clean and moist, and a guar with digestive issues can be encouraged to excrete by having its tail base tickled. Guars do not need their claws trimmed. Guars like attention, and will show affection by sniffing their owners, and trusting then to touch them.

Guars are cold-blooded, and as such, should be kept in hot environments. They also need exercise, as if a guar is too top-heavy, it will frequently fall over, and need assistance standing.

GUAR HABITAT & HISTORY ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Guars hail from Argonia, and Morrowind. They are said to be distant cousins of the Saxheel, but many Saxheel do not believe this to be true. However, guars do from bonds with Argonians more easily, and so during the second era, Dunmer commonly employed Argonian slaves to herd guar. Although most guar were domesticated, wild guars are aggressive, and reside in fields and ashlands, away from civilisation.

Guars were first domesticated in the First Era, by the dunmer, and brought to Cyrodil, and other non-native countries on Tamriel in the Second era.

Guars in Cyrodil are used as war mounts, as they are sturdier, and smarter than horses, and have a sense of smell akin to a dogs. As Tiber Septim could not pronounce “guar”, many Imperials call guars “Tigers” as when first introduced, most guars had stripes. These became a separate breed of guars, named banded guars.

One breed of guar, the Frostbane Guar, appears to originate from Skyrim. This breed is rare, and was once worshipped by nords, who hung talismans off them, in order to protect them from the cold.

The Psijic Order made two different guars speculated to be made out of magicka, a small, pet version, known as the Psijic Mascot Guar, and a larger mount, known as the Psijic Guar Exemplar.

GUAR LIFE CYCLE

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

Guars originate as eggs from their mothers. Once they hatch, they come out as smaller guars, who, like a platypus, drinks milk from their mother. They then grow to become a normal member of their herd, or explore on their own, as guars are sighted both in packs, and out in the wild. Little is known about the social hierarchy of guars.

On a farm, they are raised my guar-herders, in packs, and are sold, or killed near the end of their life cycle for meat and hide.

GUAR BREEDS

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

There are many different breeds of guars. Of the ones known, there are:

Common Vvardenfell Guar: The most common breed of guar, seen on farms, and in the wild. These can be albino, and albino guars are used in prophecies, and rituals.

Banded Guar: These guars are typically aggressive, and have thick stripes on its back. They are related to the Tiger Guar. A Golden-eye Guar, a breed of Banded Guar, are highly aggressive, and considered the hardest to train.

Lizard Guar: Lizard Guars originated from the hist, and were specifically evolved to have a stronger tie with argonians. They are native for Black Marsh, and aren’t commonly seen elsewhere.

Hist Guar: A Hist Guar, despite its name, is not from the hist, but rather looks as if it is splattered with hist sap. These markings glow, and it is unknown what causes them. It is known to be the only guar that enjoys music.

Frostbane Guar: These rare white guars are from Skyrim, and are surprisingly resistant to the cold. The ancient nords regarded them highly.

Freckled Guars: The Freckled Guar is a half-size breed of guar, whom are often kept as pets. Freckled guars are smarter than a common guar.

Pony Guar: These are tiny guars, originating in Southern Morrowind, who are too fragile to be raised like common guar. They need more careful attention, and are rarely exported.

Shadowghost Guar: These guars are nocturnal, and live near Red Mountain. They can be used as mounts, but are rarely seen.

Tessellated Guar: These are like the common guar, but stronger. They are found all over Tamriel.

Tiger Guar: These guars are thought to be legendary, and they're hunted by nobles for sport. They are significantly larger than their relatives, and equally fierce.

Green Narsis Guar & Pale Velothi Guar: These guars are bred in the regions in their names, and both common, sturdy, guars. The Pale Velothi Guar is known to be weather resistant.

Skyfire Guar: Skyfire guars are the most colourful, with a vivid red and blue hide. They are difficult to tame, and not commonly found.

Glowgill Guar: This guar, bred to be a mount, was bred in a coastal tribe in Argonia, near Archon. This is the only guar with gills, and so many believe it can breathe underwater.

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