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Swine
Swine is the common name for any of the cloven-hoofed mammals of the family Suidae. A swine has a rather long, mobile snout, a heavy, relatively short-legged body, a thick, bristly hide, and a small tail. The name swine is applied mainly to domestic animals, which are also known as swine. Sometimes these are called pigs. Boar is a term for a male domestic swine suitable for breeding, but the term wild boar is used for the common wild swine. Wild swine are descendants of the Lythian wild boar, introduced for sport hunting, or hybrid offspring of escaped domestic swine. A domestic swine's tusks are removed before reaching maturity.
Swine differ very little in size or weight, although there is a wide variety of skin colors. Their hide is very thin and white-haired swine are prone to sunburn. Swine prefer having a wallow, a mud or dust pond, nearby in which they can roll. The covering of mud or dust stops their hide from burning. If provided the opportunity, a swine will never defecate near where it wallows or eats.
Swine are valuable for their meat, prepared as ham, bacon, and pork, and for their fat (lard); they also provide fine leather, and bristles for brushes. Swine are commonly grouped as meat-type or lard-type. Swine are raised in nearly all parts of Lythia, but coastal Lythia is the chief swine-raising area.
Though swine will eat almost any food, they do best on a mostly vegetarian diet. They are excellent scavengers and must be penned at night lest they eat whatever they find. The more a swine eats, the bigger it grows. It is an animal that is always hungry and will eat constantly if food is available. If it does not exercise regularly, the meat will remain marbled with fat. Regular exercise produces a higher and more standard meat quality.
Swine herds can range from 5-10KM in a day to find fresh fodder. Swine are known to find rare and editable mushrooms, like truffles. The swine will gorge themselves on these delicacies. A few herders rely on their swine's ability to find these mushrooms before snatching them from the swine for their own sale or consumption. Getting truffles away from hungry swine is a dangerous task as swine will push and bit anything that gets in between them and their food.
Swine get sick whenever they cannot exercise or are kept out of the sun. Swine illnesses greatly resemble human illnesses - especially the rumble cough, wandering nights and the fever.
A gestation of 114 days produces 4-12 piglets. The piglets grow to maturity in one years. They suckle for a three months. A sow can have 1 litter every 3-4 years. If a litter is less than 4 piglets, the litter will not be born alive.
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Swine and settled farms
Swine are a sign of settled lands. They are not raised by nomadic people, and need so much food that without fodder from manor crops, they do not grow as healthy as migratory or wild herds. In most manors swine are allowed to wander throughout common areas. Not only do they help keep the place clean, they also act as wardens. A swine will squeal and run from anything that threatens it; unless defending piglets. When a swine attacks, it will squeal louder; making it a great watch beast.
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HMIII Rules
| Swine | |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Any |
| Height | 3-5 ft. |
| Weight | 200-600 lbs |
| Diet | Any |
| Life span | 6-10 years |
| Group | 2-12 |
| Load | 100 lbs |
| Price | 24d |
| Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Str | 15 | Eye | 03 | Int | 14 | End |
| 16 | Sta | 16 | Hrg | 04 | Aur | 30 | Mov |
| 14 | Agl | 20 | Sml | 15 | Wil | ||
| Skills | |||||||
| 55 | Initiative | 52 | Awareness | ||||
| 45 | Dodge | 35 | Jumping | ||||
| 50 | Gore 5b | 60 | Stealth | ||||
| 40 | Bite 1P | 35 | Swimming | ||||
| Armor | |||||||
| B4 E3 P1 F3 | |||||||
| Strike Locations | |
|---|---|
| 01-12 | Head |
| 13-20 | Neck |
| 21-30 | • Fore Leg |
| 31-60 | • Flank (thorax) |
| 61-75 | Abdomen |
| 76-90 | • Quarter (hip) |
| 91-98 | • Hind Leg |
| 99-00 | Tail |
| • Odd = Left, Even = Right | |
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Market Values
| Item | d | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | 1d/lb. | Manor/Market |
| Sweet Meats | 1d/lb. | Manor/Market |
| Pelt | 4d | Manor/Market |
| Vellum | 1f | Hide worker |
| Eyes | 1f/ea. | Manor/Market |
| Hooves/Horns | 1f/set | Manor/Market |
| Leather | 7d | Hide worker |
| Hide | 5d | Hide worker |
| Milk/Butter | 1d/pt. | Manor/Market |
| Cheese | 1d/lb. | Manor/Market |
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April 27, 2005
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