Moobi Motsii
PDF p.420 / Book p.412
Type: Legend
Catagory: Creature
Skill Check: Folklore, Biology
The Moobi Motsii are a race of intelligent woolly mammoths. Adult Moobi Motsii average around 14 feet tall and weigh around six tons. They have thick skin covered with a heavy brown to reddish fur coat, although they commonly paint and decorate themselves. They live in groups segregated by gender, with females of all ages and preadolescent males living in herds of 50–100 individuals. More loosely organized groups, rarely lasting a lifetime, are comprised of males ranging from adolescence to old age and usually number between 10 and 25 individuals.
The Moobi Motsii have a spectrum of hearing and vocalization beyond the grasp of the normal human ear. The majority of humans must communicate with them through simple drawings, while the Moobi Motsii have their own untranslated written communication: a character-based system read in columns from the bottom up and consisting of tens of thousands of characters, commonly referred to as Moobi Nabop, or "nose writing."
Female groups of Moobi Motsii have a rigid hierarchy headed by an aged grandmother or great-grandmother. Members of the herd are extremely loyal and will never leave to join another group except in the event of catastrophe. It is traditional for the leader to leave her herd when she feels she is no longer at the height of her physical or mental powers. Her position is then taken by the next oldest female. She is allowed to leave by her family—they honor her wisdom even above their own feelings of love and loyalty—but she is deeply mourned. When a group of humans approaches a female herd, particularly one with calves, the best outcome to be hoped for is usually supreme indifference.
Male groups of Moobi Motsii are almost invariably unrelated and are less organized, less long-lasting, and smaller than female herds, although the males themselves are physically larger. These groups tend to consist of pairs and triads of males with romantic attachments to one another, whose only contact with females occurs once every other year during the rutting season. Males are often seen twisting their trunks together and otherwise expressing physical affection. Male herds are more likely to interact with humans if approached, but often do so with a sort of rambunctious derision, seemingly taking pleasure in playing tricks on them.
A lone unattached male, unable or unwilling to become part of a male herd, can be extremely dangerous. Likewise, an aged female who has stepped down from her position as herd leader and may simply be waiting to die can also be among the most dangerous Moobi Motsii to encounter. Even so, it is still possible to communicate through writing and drawing with any Moobi Motsii. A skilled negotiator with the right thing to offer can turn a potentially deadly adversary into a powerful, if temporary, ally.
It is doubtful that any Moobi Motsii will ever fully trust a human being. There is a tale that some humans still living in the Permanent Ice Zone hunt the Moobi Motsii, and this is said to have led to their deep distrust of humanity. Now that both human and Moobi Motsii populations are increasing, reports of encounters between the two are becoming more frequent.
It is rumored that, in addition to having both the size and the inclination to squash humans into jelly, the Moobi Motsii possess the ability to use vocalizations as natural sonic weapons. They are said to be capable of producing sounds that can force humans to soil themselves—the Moobi Motsii equivalent of a rude joke—shatter their eardrums, or even cause immediate death. However, all of this remains conjecture. Many humans suspect that losing control of one's bowels while surrounded by angry Moobi Motsii is simply a natural fear response rather than the result of any sonic weapon.
Backlinks: Lore Story Guide Journal Story Guide Journal:Session 1