Badeeps were large bovine mammals native to the plains of Balebu and Colupan Archipelago islands^[1]. They were widely used by a multitude of humanoid races, including goblinoids, orcs, dwarves and humans.

Characteristics

Badeep were large mammals the size of small cows. They had fur, which was dark brown except on their neck and heads, which were light brown or bare hide. They had two powerful tusks. A badeep could live in places with a mean temperature of -5 to 25 degrees Celsius, but was also very specific in its environment and couldn't survive in most climates. Notably, it was never successfully cattled in the western half of Oshmondu.^[2] Badeep had a very specific diet. They mainly fed off brubber trees by rubbing off the bark with their tusks and drinking off the sap with their tongues. A badeep could spend large spans of time drinking sap before the trunk ran dry, requiring them to move off to the next tree. Because of the very spread-out growth of brubber copses, badeep herds were constantly on the move to find fresh sources. A tree replenished its sap in a year, or much less time if it wasn't completely dry, meaning a wild herd of 20 badeep could survive with 120 trees, and a domesticated one with only 30. This brubber sap, however, was an unbalanced diet for badeep. It contained large amounts of saccharides, water, and minerals. The brubber fruits contained additional carbohydrates and proteins, which more or less covered a badeep's needs, but in a disproportionate way. Usually, it had an overshoot of sugars, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. It made a sticky yellow paste out of this, called judeep, which it excreted from a kind of mammal on its rear. Normal excretion and peeing were performed through an opening in its central lower area. Baddeps had a thin layer of whitish fat just under their skin which acted as a powerful repellant against predators because of its horrible taste and toxicity. In addition, their tusks offered them quite some protection and offensive capability. This enabled them to live quite undisturbed of predators, which hunted smaller animals instead. More advanced races found a way around this: the fat could be scraped or boiled off, and badeep meat was edible for nearly all humanoids. Badeep were only rarely hunted, however, because the animals could be put to much better use.

Reproduction

Herds of 15-25 were the norm. Each of these badeep were neuters and could be fecundated by any other specimens and give birth. Throughout spring, the population copulated through an exchange of sperm via their tongues. Baby badeep then slowly developed in wombs, which were located just beneath the judeep mammal. In autumn, the babies burst out through an opening which was formed specifically for them and which will afterwards grew closed again. Baby badeep were extremely small compared to their parents, and usually drank the judeep of their parents, complemented with a bit of brubber fruit.

Usage

Herding

Badeep were extremely easy to herd, and were kept as cattle since the wake of intelligent creatures. Mainly less developed societies, which had not started growing crops or keeping other animals, rode badeep herds and lived a nomadic lifestyle. Orcish clans depended mainly on these animals, following large herds around the countryside and drinking their judeep. Goblinoids developed advanced herding, interrupting a badeep's sucking before the tree was empty and therefore leading to a highly efficient herding on much smaller territory, especially if brubbers were planted purposefully too. In general, badeep were the main food source for rising societies.

Warfare

Orcish cavalry typically used badeep as mounts. They were powerful, able to resist serious blows and arrow fire, and rapid enough over short spans of time to be adapted to both "cavalcade" - approaching within bowshot, sending off a volley, then riding further away, to charge, and to chase down fleeing prey. Some Far North Dwarves also used badeep, though the mounts were quite large for them and they preferred greatboars.

Limitations. Badeep were extremely limited in their diet and thus had to keep to a very specific geographic area. They remained only in plains with brubber trees and could not move into mountains or forests for long. Additionally, they did not deal very well with cold and snow, being more sluggish then and preferring to rest in a kind of semi-hibernation. If a badeep was pushed to action anyways, it could easily get sick.