Mammoth

Mammoth
skill	10 (Adult); 7 (Young)
stamina	16 (Adult); 10 (Young)
Habitat	Ice, Plains
Number Encountered	1-6
Type	Mammal, Animal
Reaction	Unfriendly
Intelligence	Low

The Mammoth, also known as the Woolly Mammoth, were huge shaggy-haired beasts, similar to elephants, but dwelling chiefly in cooler climes.

Description

Mammoths were usually coloured a deep brown, with large curving tusks extending out in front of them. They were fairly docile, and wander in small herds in search of vegetation to feed upon. Mammoths were also rather stupid, and a whole herd could take fright from the threatening movements of a much smaller creature. There would be a larger male mammoth with most herds, however, who would valiantly attack to defend his cows and calves.

In an attack, a bull mammoth would rear on its back legs, brandishing its tusks threateningly, and attempt to knock over and trample its enemy.

Mammoths were hunted by many of the northern tribes, both humans and toa-suo, for their meat, ivory and warm shaggy pelts. Folk-legends told by the shamans of such tribes told of when the plains were greener and the mammoth roamed everywhere. Such times were long gone, for the plains became desolate and grey, and the mammoths are being hunted into extinction.

The ivory carvings made from their tusks were a particularly valuable commodity.

Origins and Distribution

A Mammoth of the Icefinger Mountains.

Mammoths were rare creatures, encountered most frequently on the barren northern plains around the Icefinger Mountains, but a few scattered herds had been reported in other icy areas.

Other areas in Allansia that could have supported mammoths included the Freezeblood Mountains, the Dragon Reaches, and the lands of Frostholm. Having said that, a mammoth was part of the Riddling Reaver’s Powdered Creature collection, but it was not known whether he carried it all the way from the frozen north on his airship, or whether he obtained it from a nearby population, such as in the colder upland areas of the Plain of Bones.

In the Old World there may have been a relict population of mammoths in the Cragrock Peaks and the Northlands. In Khul we had the closely related tusker mammoth from the Greater Ilkhans in Kazan, and other colder areas. Back in Allansia, a third species of mammoth was the ferocious black mammoth from the immense Forest of Night and its surroundings.

Further Notes

• The Mammoth in Caverns of the Snow Witch had different scores (skill 10 stamina 11) to those from Out of the Pit, given above. Perhaps it represented a sub-adult, intermediate in size between the Adult and Young scores.
• Half a bottle of Larssen's Firewater would "see off" a woolly mammoth.
• Skyriders of the Frostwind Tribe of Northern Barbarians are known to express their contempt for adventurers on quests by saying: "Another one on a quest," mutters one of the [barbarians], "like the one last week. Trampled by a Mammoth he was. Don't expect any different for you."

Further Information in Canon

More information can be found at:^Source
Out of the Pit (Large) (pg78#*, pg127)
Allansia (pg147, pg280)
Caverns of the Snow Witch (pg21, para310#)
Tower of Destruction (para177)
Demonstealer (pg121)
The Riddling Reaver (pg137, pg216#)
Warlock Issue 2 (pg26, pg48 (189#), pg49*)

Notes

# - denotes a reference with statistics
* - denotes a picture

Appendix

Appearances

Adventures

• Caverns of the Snow Witch (book)
• The Riddling Reaver (book)
• Tower of Destruction (book)

Sourcebooks

• Advanced Fighting Fantasy – The Roleplaying Game (mentioned)
• Créatures de Titan
• Encyclopedia Arcana Vol I - Treasures (mentioned)
• Out of the Pit

References