Rothé

Rothé (pronounced "roth-AY") are squat, strongly-built creatures who resemble musk oxen -- with curving horns, cloven hooves, and long, shaggy coats of thick hair. They have evolved into two very similar strains: the smaller, magically-gifted subterranean or "deep" rothé, and the larger "surface" rothé.

Rothé have dirty brown coats, darkening to almost black on the legs and underbelly, and have dark green or black hooves and horns (ivory color if freshly broken off or growing back). Their eyes tend to be yellow or pinkish, and they communicate with snorts, grunts, and sniffs.

Rothé regularly regenerate lost horns, and can even, over time (usually a season or so), regenerate lost limbs. The sexes appear identical unless the rothé have been sheared.

Rothé are not particularly intelligent, but have an instinctive wariness of being surrounded or penned in. Beings who try to surround them, herd them, or raise nets and barriers around them learn that rothé instinctively react to any observed encircling movement (and there are always rothé on watch) by drifting away from such traps, while grazing. Rothé always scout the areas in which they graze -- they know where precipices and gorges are to be found, and unlike buffalo, cannot easily be stampeded into killing falls.

Rothé dislike bright light, and normally make their lairs in caves, overhangs screened by dense thickets, or subterranean cavern networks. They are nimble rock-climbers, leaping from ledge to ledge with skill and uncanny balance. They will often escape up a cliff face from pursuers, sometimes galloping across loose scree to deliberately start a rockslide.

Although rothé depend on the presence of abundant water to support the mosses, lichens, and ferns they so like to eat, they do not enjoy swimming or immersion in water -- and creatures who keep herds of domesticated rothé often confine them on islands, knowing that the water will prove a strong ally in keeping a herd from wandering.

Rothé always band together with others of their kind to form a herd. They never fight with others of their own kind (unlike cattle, rothé bulls never fight for dominance). Rothé work together, the stronger escorting and guarding the weak and the young. Some individuals remain alert and on watch at all times, while others feed or sleep. Rothé sleep standing up, and if caught in severe weather or conditions (such as a blizzard on the surface, or a mudslide underground), they stand together in a solid wedge of flesh.

Rothé are raised by many subterranean races as food. Those who hunt rothé prize not only their beef-like flesh, but make their shaggy hides into tents, cloaks, and other garments that provide warm protection against bone-chilling cold and biting winds. Rothé-bone is tremendously strong and durable, but slowly dries out to become brittle. Rothé horns, cleaned and polished, can serve as drinking-jacks or hunting horns. Large, splendid ones are highly prized in the North.

When trained, rothé can serve as steeds for dwarves and smaller beings. They are raised for their meat, and to serve as beasts of burden by merchants and farmers, in all areas where they are found.

Deep rothé

The staple diet of many Drow and Duergar communities, these herd animals of the UnderWorld are small, standing only 4' high at the shoulder when fully grown. They are powerfully built, being on average just as wide as they are tall. Deep rothé eat fungi, lichens and mosses. Deep rothé can manifest dancing lights to signal its fellows. This is used to signal its location, the presence of food, danger, and so on.

Note: Rothé originally appeared in this form in the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.