Madris: creatures' profile

Submitted by Allyana on Sat, 05/14/2005 - 18:45

Posted in

SW Galactic Guidebook

Creatures' profile: Madris

Madris are proud riding beasts from Charubah, in the Hapan Cluster, home-world of Vorgrell’s first Chume. After positioning herself in power, Fara Jay’vex had a centenar specimens brought to Vorgrell and the Jay’vex family has bred them for riding and racing ever since, turning it into a very profitable trade. They own extensive ‘ranchs’ to breed Madris in different parts of Vorgrell, the smaller of them, but closer to Plateau City, is called the 'Charubah Ranch'. It is not far from Halean Falls.

The two-meter tall animals have smooth seal-like pelt that goes from black to camel tones, a long lean reptilian tail, powerful muscular legs and four short and stout tusks, two in the top of their head and two protruding from their mandibles. Madris’ pelt ranges in color from black to light camel, passing through bronze and golden. Madris can be of solid colors, or have tiger-like stripes on their back and tail, when stripped their marks are unique to each individual. Their underbelly is usually lighter than the rest of their pelt. The tusks are ivory colored and their eyes are black and brilliant.

They are herd animals, usually living in groups of around 20-30 beasts, under the leadership of an alpha male. When young males reach their prime they usually move away from the pack to form their own groups. Since they are bred in extensive territories, a Madris shepherd is appointed to care of each herd. Madris relationship with humans is millenary, and once they are taken from their herds, they bond with their riders, considering them automatically their alpha male. Madris don’t need to be broken.

Though their diets can be as widely varied as that of a Human, Madris’ aspect is that of a savage attack animal. However, even if they can be quite ferocious when hunting, using their tusks to attack, they only hunt small animals.

The expensive and exclusive beasts are sold as mounts for the privileged but mainly they are used for racing since madris are really fast animals, their powerful legs carry them across the plains of Vorgrell at incredible speeds, often appearing to run just above the ground. Racing madris are decorated with their numbers and sometimes names, much in the same way racehorses are. Riders’ costumes bear the same numbers and colors than their mounts.

When a madris is standing it is 2-2.5 meters tall, and its neck and upper back rise at a steep angle. This requires a high-backed saddle that keeps riders in an upright position. Madris need to kneel to let humans mount them.

Vorgrell Madris Racetracks

There is a huge madris race track near Plateau City, the ‘Hapes Madris Racetrack’ and a smaller and more disreputable one in the outskirts of Shipwreck city called the ‘Steeple Canyon Madris Racetrack’. The weekly races bring people from all around the planet for sporting and gambling.

The Hapes Madris Racetrack was built according with Hapan sense of beauty. Extensive gardens surround the facilities and the installations were built taking into consideration the terrain aspect not to alter the landscape. The racetrack consists of an array of elevation changes, nine turns and one long straight away where Madris seem to fly over the track. Hapes Racetrack is about 6 miles long.

The Steeple Canyon Madris Racetrackis a bit smaller than the Hapes one, only 4 miles long, but it is a much more difficult and dangerous track. The racetrack builders used the irregular terrain of the canyon wall to build some parts of the circuit, even to the extent of widening some of the natural caves and passages that go in and out the canyon. The rest of the racetrack also sports closed angle bendings and a long straight away section. The canyon walls were also used to build the public stands and the racetrack facilities.

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