Hares

Hares are best recognized by their well-developed hind legs. Their ears are usually longer than their head. They have almond front-facing eyes, and their muzzle ends in a large and sensitive nose. They range in size from 40 to 70 centimeters (15 - 27 inches) long without their tails.

Their front and rear paws each have four toes, but the hind feet tend to be up to twice as large as the front paws. Tracks appear as clustered sets with the hind feet appearing to touch the ground in front of the front feet.

Hares in the north turn white in winter and a gray-brown in the summer months. Elsewhere a hare's color remains gray throughout the year. They eat grains, grasses and vegetables and are renowned for climbing under or jumping over fences raised to protect vegetable plots.

They tend to remain in a small area, but may occasionally undertake mass migrations, especially in the far north. Hares do not use burrows, but make a small depression in the ground among long grass - this is known as a form. They spend most of the day on or near the form, moving out to feed in the open at night. Hares are hunted by humans as well as various carnivorous birds and mammals.

Hares tend to be solitary except when raising young, or mating. A litter of hares can be born yearly with one to seven young, known as leverets. Leverets are born fully haired, with open eyes, and sufficiently advanced to hop about a few minutes after birth. The Leverets are left by the female in forms a few metres from their birth place. Once a day for the first four weeks of their lives, the leverets gather at sunset to be fed by the female, but otherwise they receive no parental care. A hare's life span is 3 to 4 years.

There are three types of Hares in North Western Lythia. The Common Brown Hare, The Blue Hare and the Mouse Hare.

To Hit Charts

Note: Odd numbers denote the left, even numbers denote the right. Facing is determined either randomly, or by choice.

	Up	Equal	Down
Skull		01-05
Face¹		06-10
Neck		11-15
Shoulders		16-27
Upper Arms		28-33
Elbows		34-35
Forearms		36-39
Front Paws²		40-43
Thorax		44-60
Abdomen		61-70
Groin		71-74
Haunches		75-80
Thighs		81-88
Knees		89-90
Calves		91-96
Feeta		97-00

¹ Roll on the Face Sub Chart

² Roll on the Paw Sub Chart

Face Sub Chart

	Up	Equal	Down
Muzzle¹		01-29
Eyes		30-43
Cheek		44-78
Ears		79-00

¹ Roll on the Muzzle Sub Chart

Muzzle Sub Chart

	Up	Equal	Down
Nose		1-14
Mouth		15-24
Muzzle		25-00

Hare Range

Hares are found throughout most of north-western Lythia.

Common Lore

The hare has a lowly status within folklore full of threatening overtones. From times immemorial the hare has been associated with witchcraft, shape shifting, and the dark gods. One can assume this is derived from this animal's nocturnal existence and the ability to stand on hind legs in an almost human pose, which when couple with its uncanny call only adds to the objectionable reputation.

Farmers particularly dislike the hare when it manifests near livestock for fear of such shapeshifters whom are thought to milk cows dry, cause chickens to stop laying and pigs from getting fat. Slaying a hare is deemed unlucky, and in some traditions these would-be witches in hare-form cannot be killed by conventional means and require a specially prepared sling bullet of silver or an arrow with a silver tip.

This seems to come from the notion that silver is an inherently enchanted metal with lucky influences associated with the Yael; thus an effective agent in piercing this invulnerability. Only the foolish or starving will eat this animal for it is said the meat will induce madness, insomnia (hence the name 'Krasula's pets'), and timidity. For fear of this latter effect, most Ivinian huscarls will refuse to eat a hare dish and consider it an insult requiring retribution.

Skalds reciting Bjarlid's Saga tell of a vendetta where clan Stelzar went to great lengths in secretly infiltrate clan Haelda's hall so as to serve up a hare stew the night before an attack. It apparently worked for the Haelda's where routed and many of Valhakar Feljar's huscarls were seen fleeing their leader leaving him to his doom.

Seeing A Hare

The sighting of hares can cause a great deal consternation in many folk from all walks of life. For instance miners and fishermen upon seeing one on the way to work will often turn around and go home for they consider it a portent of imminent death. A hare crossing one's path bodes ill for anyone, and a hare that runs down a village street is a presage of immanent fire. On the high seas, seamen will not even brook the utterance of the word 'hare' for fear of raising a storm, causing an outbreak of fire or other calamity. Brides-to-be who catch a glimpse of hare are required to delay their nuptials for one month otherwise the groom will die soon after, or the marriage will be cursed and barren.

The Hare in Medicine

Within the apothecary's shoppe or physician's chest the use of hare has applications. Hare brains stewed in wine and a selection of specific herbs is a known preparation for sleeping sickness and has also been prescribed for lesser forms of madness.

A tincture of hare's blood is often employed as a cosmetic to remove age spots, freckles, and other blemishes. For stiff joints a recognized remedy is to wrap strips of hare fur around the affected area.

On Hunting the Hare

Since their fur is as important as the meat, hares are usually trapped rather than hunted. In the south trap lines are laid at the edge of forests and grasslands, preferably just outside the safety of the trees. Hunters have found that, usually, the hare is caught on its return from foraging, usually when it is moving faster, than on its initial run.

Trap-lines should be laid vertically along gentle slops as few hares travel along ridge-lines. A brace of hares (usually weighing about 10kg) is considered a good days catch.

Dogs tend to worry their prey and thus destroy the pelt. While dogs have been successfully used to flush game into the trap-lines, the dogs must be well trained less they get caught in the lines. Often a trap-line is strong enough to break a dog's ankle.

If your intention is to flush rabbits into the trap-lines, the use of children is preferred over dogs, although driving geese, sheep or goats will also provide the desired effect.

Common Hare

"Brown Hare", "Big Rabbit", "Back-Jack", "Jack-Rabbit" or "Jack-Leg"

Description: An average sized hare it has a brown to gray mixed coat with long ears. Its coat is especially treasured when it turns white, although this only happens with Common Hares that live in northern climates. It has a short tail the same color as its fur. Its ears tend to be black at the tips.

Height:: 25 cm (9 inches)
Length:: 520-595mm
Tail:: 85-120mm
Hindpaw:: inches
Weight:: 3-4kg
Sign:: Spore to " in diameter. Four toed track with toes branching out from a central pad. Tracks are clustered with hindfeet following front feet.
Breeding:: Mates Peonu onwards. Gestation is 50 days. Average litter is 2-4 leverets.
Range:: 5-10 miles
Habitat:: Prefers to live near water and crops or grasslands.

The Common Hare is widespread throughout the island of H&#acirc;rn and most of the norther steps, wherever there is low ground. They tend to live in very exposed areas and rely primarily on their acute senses and ability to run almost as fast as a horse for short distances when evading predators. Though generally solitary, the common hare has been spotted feeding in loose associations.

Breeding takes place between the months of Peonu and Navek each year, with the males of the species being the most protective in Kelen. The female can raise three or four liters each year.

Leverets gather once a day for the first four weeks of their lives to be fed by a female, but otherwise receive no parental care. This avoids attracting predators when the leveret is most vulnerable. Wherever there are foxes there tend to be few hares, as the fox is the primary natural predator to the hare.

Common Hare
STR	03	EYE	15	INT	--	MOB	75
END	10	HRG	15	AUR	01	DGE	75
DEX	--	SMT	15	WIL	10	INI	53
AGL	15	TOU	--			FR	01
SPD	15	VOI	--
Weapons: Kick 1B/85
Armor: Natural: B2 E2 P2 F2 S2 T2 (except. eyes)

Blue Hare

"Arctic Hare", "Mountain Hare", "Orbaaleese Hare", "Varying Hare"

Description: An average sized hare it has a brown to gray mixed coat in summer and a white coat in winter. It has a short tail the same color as its fur. Its ears tend to be black at the tips.

Height:: 25 cm (9 inches)
Length:: 520-595mm
Tail:: 85-120mm
Hindpaw:: inches
Weight:: 2.4-3.5kg
Sign:: Spore to " in diameter. Four toed track with toes branching out from a central pad. Tracks are clustered with hindfeet following front feet.
Breeding:: Mates end of Nunzayel onwards. Gestation is 50 days. Average litter is 1-3 leverets.
Range:: 5-10 miles
Habitat:: Prefers to live in boreal or pine forests.

Blue Hares seem to reach a population peak about every 10 years, at which time their numbers sharply decline for 2-3 years before growing again.

Blue Hares rest during the day in forms and scrapes which provide shelter. They sometimes make burrows in the earth or in snow, particularly when young. Their runs usually pass directly up slopes, rather than traversing slopes like those of sheep and deer. They are active at night, and although considered to be browsers of woody plants such as heather and other dwarf shrubs and trees, they prefer to eat grasses when they are available during the summer months.

During periods of snow cover they gather on leeward hill slopes, in groups of 20+, to shelter or feed where shallow snow permits scraping to reveal underlying heather. They are preyed upon by several predators including foxes, stoats, cats and raptors.

Blue Hare
STR	04	EYE	13	INT	--	MOB	65
END	12	HRG	13	AUR	01	DGE	65
DEX	--	SMT	13	WIL	12	INI	53
AGL	13	TOU	--			FR	01
SPD	13	VOI	--
Weapons: Kick 1B/85
Armor: Natural: B2 E2 P2 F2 S2 T2 (except. eyes)

Mouse Hare

"Pika"

Description: The Mouse Hare has shorter ears, no exterior tail and less-developed hind limbs than the other Hares.

Height:: 5-10cm
Length:: 15 cm (6 inches)
Tail:: None
Hindpaw:: 1/4 inch
Weight:: 100 g (3 ounces)
Sign:: 1/4 inch in diameter
Breeding:: Peonu onwards, 30 day gestation, litter of 2-6.
Range:: 5-10 miles
Habitat:: Any

They may burrow or find natural shelter, depending on habitat. They have a whistle or bark and a chattering call used in giving alarm signals and in maintaining territorial boundaries. Unlike rabbits and hares, whose major activity takes place from dusk to after dawn, pikas are active during the day.

The Mouse Hare not only store but dry or cure vegetation for winter. Its still-shorter ears and weaker hind limbs keep them in areas where secure cover can be reached in a quick scamper.

The Mouse Hare can have two or three litters born each year. In some, the young are born lightly furred and with closed eyes and ears, but they gain the ability to move about after approximately eight days.

Mouse Hare
STR	02	EYE	10	INT	--	MOB	50
END	10	HRG	10	AUR	01	DGE	50
DEX	--	SMT	10	WIL	12	INI	50
AGL	10	TOU	--			FR	01
SPD	10	VOI	--
Weapons: Kick 1B/85
Armor: Natural: B2 E2 P2 F2 S2 T2 (except. eyes)

This page was last updated on January 23, 2002
Questions/Comments should be directed to the Webmaster.
All works are Copyright their respective authors, 2002.

Pax Tharda