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This page lists known animal species native to Minerva.  

Eloc[]

The eloc (plural eloca) is an animal native to Minerva. Like all Minervan animals, the eloc is radially symmetrical and can be divided into six segments. In addition to an arm, a leg, and an eye, each segment includes a horn. Eloca have been domesticated by Minervans, who breed them for docility and to have the smallest possible horns. Eloca are much larger than Minervans and are used as a food source.

In preparation for her attempt to allow the Omalo mate Lamra to survive the budding process, Dr. Sarah Levitt and her team attempted to save the lives of a number of eloca mates who had just dropped their buds. Though none of the eloca survived, these attempts allowed Levitt to develop the techniques which would ultimately save Lamra. After dying, eloca mates are butchered and prepared for food.

Eloca budlings imprint very shortly after being dropped. For this reason, they must be brought from a special pen where their mothers drop them to the pen where the males are kept very quickly, or they will imprint on Minervan farmers instead.

Krong[]

The krong (plural krongii) is an aggressive Minervan predator native to the Skarmer territories west of the Ervis Gorge. In 1989, one attacked Shota Rustaveli and Valery Bryusov, seriously injuring Bryusov before being killed by Rustavelli. Soviet doctor Katerina Zakharova could not reach Bryusov in time to save him so Sergei Tolmasov had to request American Doctor Sarah Levitt's assistance.

Later, a krong attacked Tolmasov and Fralk while the two were traveling through Hogram's domain. The krong would have killed them both had Tolmasov not slain the beast with his AK-74, despite Tolmasov's attempts to keep the nature of the weapon secret from the Minervans.

Massi[]

Massi are a domestic animal native to Minerva. Minervans raise them for food.

Nosver[]

Nosver are a predatory creature native to Minerva. They prey on large Minervan domestic animals and generally prove themselves a nuisance to Minervan agricultural society. However, they are not as vicious as krongii. Like all Minervan land animals, they are radially symmetrical, with vertical columnar bodies divided into six segments, each containing an eye, an arm, and a leg. Their mates are on a more equal status with their males than is true of sentient Minervans, and form hunting packs along with their males. However, like mates of every Minervan species, they cannot survive the budding process.

Nosver are common on the eastern side of the Ervis Gorge but are not known in Skarmer territory on the gorge's western side.

Runnerpest[]

The runnerpest is a very small animal native to Minerva built on the usual Minervan body plan. As with all Minervan animals, the mates do not survive budding. Runnerpests often live within Minervan buildings. They are vermin who serve no agricultural function and must be caught and killed or removed from the building. This task is sometimes "assigned" to newly-dropped Minervan budlings who display aggressive tendencies.

Fearing he would be killed when Fralk's Skarmer army invaded his domain, the Omalo domain-master Reatur wanted something for Lamra to remember him by. He carved her a toy runnerpest from wood, which became her most prized possession.

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