China is home to some of the best known
creatures in the world, and – given the Chinese disregard for the environment –
some of the most endangered. The following is a list of critters loosely
gathered together under the banner of “feline and canine”: these are the type
of animals that players would most likely encounter in a game set in the wilds
of China, Manchuria, Mongolia and Russia. In later lists, we’ll look at other
groups of animals.
CATS:
Snow Leopard (Uncia
uncia)
The Snow Leopard is one the Five Animals revered and emulated by the
Shaolin Monks, and whose combat style has been translated into a martial art
form. Like most large felines, the Snow Leopard is a solitary creature which
comes together with others of its kind only for the purposes of mating. These
cats have definite ranges and they patrol them vigorously.
The Snow Leopard is a skilled hunter
relying on stealth and ambush to catch its prey. More than this however, the
Snow Leopard often tries to dupe its victims, feigning illness or incapacity in
order to get closer to them. The ‘Leopard also is known to ignore attacks from
superior foes in order to get closer to them and inflict harm: this willingness
to walk into danger has earned the cat a respectful reputation among the tribal
peoples of Western- and Central China and Mongolia.
In ancient times the tail of the Snow
Leopard was used to make a quiver for a warrior’s arrows (the tail of the Snow
Leopard is unusually long and thick for its size); bearing the skin of a Snow
Leopard was considered a mark of manhood and bravery. Today, the pelt of the
Snow Leopard is used as a fashion feature and the feline has been almost hunted
to extinction due to its lustrous fur.
SNOW
LEOPARD, Pale Highlands Predator
STR: 3D6+6 (Average: 16-17)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 2D6+8 (Average: 15)
POW: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
DEX: 2D6+12 (Average: 19)
Move: 12
HP: 13
Av.
Damage Bonus: +1d6
Weapon:
Bite: 30%, damage 1d10; Claw: 50%, damage 1d6+db; Rake: 80%, damage 2d6+db
Armour:
1 point of fur
Skills:
Climb 80%; Hide 80%; Jump 40%; Sneak 90%
Habitat
Central Asia to Western China
Tiger, Siberian (Panthera
tigris altaica)
The Siberian Tiger - also known as the
Amur, Manchurian, Altaic, Korean, North China or Ussuri Tiger - holds a special place in the mythology and
folklore of China. The Tiger is a symbol of uncontrolled, explosive power and
is considered to be the equal opposite of the Dragon which represents
controlled force. The Tiger is one of the First
Five Animals of Chinese kung fu
lore and the martial style after which it is named is one of the most dynamic
and forceful. Chinese alchemy holds the tiger as a source of potent cures for
sexual dysfunction, along with other infirmities and it is this fact – humiliatingly,
for our species - which threatens the creature’s existence most in the modern
era.
In the early 1800s, the species ranged
from northern and Western China, across Russia and Central China to Turkey in
the west; nowadays, its diminishing numbers are confined to small areas of
Siberia. In Russia the tigers are protected by law and their population is
closely monitored; however, the increasing lawlessness of capitalist Russia and
the huge amounts to be made in the Chinese medicine trade have not improved the
bleak future of the cat.
Siberian Tiger males weigh from 167.3 to
185.7 kilograms (368.8-409.3lbs) while females weigh from 117.9 to 122.6
kilograms (259.9-270.2lbs). There are unsubstantiated as well as literary
sources which record heavier weights (up to 384kg, or 847lbs) but these are to
be treated as more than somewhat exaggerated. Males measure from 190 to 230
centimetres (75-90in) in length while females are slightly smaller, ranging
from 160 to 180 centimetres (62.9-70.8in).
Tigers tend to occupy areas of heavy
coniferous vegetation, in low mountainous regions: historically, the presence
of humans drove them from low-lying areas. Heavily snowed-in regions are
spurned by tigers due to the fact that their colouring makes them easier to
spot. Female tigers tend to occupy and patrol a distinct territory, while males
are more free-ranging. The main source of food for tigers is wild boar
supplemented with deer, antelope, moose, rabbits and salmon, where available.
Tigers also attack and eat bears if other prey is unavailable and have been
known to imitate the calls of Asiatic Black Bears in order to lure them into
ambush. Tigers are also known to have killed wolves, with whom they compete for
food resources, driving their populations almost to the point of extinction in
certain areas; however, they have never been known to eat wolves.
There have been very few confirmed
accounts of tigers killing humans although stories of their depredations
abound. They have been known to regularly attack dogs and livestock when other
prey is scarce but the attacks on humans have usually been only in extremis of hunger or when the tigers
have been harassed by hunters or other foolish humans. In this regard, the
Siberian Tiger is less of a threat to humanity than its cousin the Bengal
Tiger, which has regularly attacked human habitations throughout history. Where
reports of such attacks are verified however, the Siberian Tiger is a fearsome
opponent, using cunning and the explosive power attributed to it by Chinese mystic
thought: these tigers have been known to enter houses and drag off sleeping
women and children and to have enacted calculated and cunningly co-ordinated
stratagems.
SIBERIAN
TIGER, Regal Feline
STR: 3D6+12 (Average: 22-23)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 3D6+6 (Average: 16-17)
POW: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
DEX: 2D6+12 (Average: 19)
Move: 10
HP: 13-14
Av.
Damage Bonus: +1d6
Weapon:
Bite: 45%, damage 1d10; Claw: 70%, damage 1d8+db; Ripping: 80%, 2d8+db
Armour:
2 points of fur
Skills:
Hide in Cover 80%; Move Quietly: 75%; Track: 50%; Swim: 75%
Habitat: 1800s - Manchuria; Central, Western and
Northern China through to Korea; 1900s -
Central China, Russia; Modern Era -
Siberia
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda
melanoleuca)
The Giant Panda is a well-known figure in
the West and so it is surprising to discover that Western explorers did not
encounter them until 1904. The Panda has features indicating a feline ancestry
and this explains not just its inclusion in this list, but also its Latin
cognomen - “black and white cat-foot”. The other interesting feature of the
Panda is its thumb which is a bony claw-like projection from the forepaws that
has a distinct resemblance to an opposable digit, unknown outside of primate
species: an instance of “parallel evolution”. For a time the Giant Panda was
thought to be related to the raccoon; this notion has since been quelled.
Pandas are rarely aggressive, opting for
flight unless extremely provoked. The diet of the Panda consists mostly of
bamboo which it devours copiously throughout the day. This diet is relatively
inefficient and explains the sheer amount of eating that they do. Technically,
the Panda is an omnivore and can eat a variety of other foods, including fish,
eggs and insects, but such treats are infrequent pleasures and are not actively
sought.
The male panda can reach up to 115kgs
(253lbs) while smaller females can reach up to 100kgs (220lbs). Pandas do not
hibernate, but relocate during colder months to warmer regions. Females tend to
be territorial when in season and become intolerant of other females in their
range. Demand for their fur, coupled with the wide-ranging wars in China during
the Nineteenth- and Twentieth Centuries has seen the population of Pandas
plummet dramatically; while now on the rise once more, and protected by Chinese
law, the panda is still considered an endangered species.
GIANT
PANDA, Roly-poly Mascot
STR: 2D6+4 (Average: 11)
CON: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
SIZ: 2D6+4 (Average: 11)
POW: 2D6 (Average: 7)
DEX: 2D6 (Average: 7)
Move: 10
HP: 12
Av.
Damage Bonus: none
Weapon:
Bite 60%, 1D6
Armour:
4 points of thick fur
Skills:
Hide 80%; Climb 75%
Habitat:
Bamboo jungles of Western and Southern China
Red Panda (Ailurus
fulgens)
Known as the ‘Shining Cat’ or ‘Firefox’,
the Red Panda is the smaller cousin of the Giant Panda. Its presence in China
was known to the West long before the Giant Panda and it was some time before
the connexion between the two species was properly identified.
Like its bigger cousin, the Red Panda is
shy and not prone to attack unless seriously cornered. It is a sure-footed
climber and can disappear into the canopy of the surrounding forest in no time
at all. Like the Giant Panda, its diet is inefficient, consisting largely of
great daily quantities of bamboo; it is also omnivorous however, and will take
eggs, small birds, fish and insects if these are available.
The Red Panda can grow up
to 120cms (47in) in length and can reach up to 6.2kgs (14lbs). They are
solitary, forming groups or pairs only briefly for the purpose of mating and
are most active at night when they can be heard twittering and whistling in the
treetops. Their main enemies are Snow Leopards, Martens and humans, who kill
them for their fur. Like their distant relatives, the Red Panda is endangered
in its range, mainly due to human intervention.
RED PANDA, Playful Tree-Dweller
STR: 2D6 (Average: 7)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 1D4 (Average: 2-3)
POW: 2D6 (Average: 7)
DEX: 2D6+12 (Average: 19)
Move: 12
HP: 6-7
Av.
Damage Bonus: -1D6
Weapon:
Bite 60%, 1D4
Skills:
Climb 80%; Hide 80%
Armour:
none
Habitat:
Bamboo jungles of Western and Southern China
DOGS:
Dholes (Cuon
alpinus, Cuon fumosis and Cuon
lepturus)
“Mulder: ‘It’s not Detweiler. It’s something that he becomes...’
Scully: ‘Mulder...’
Mulder: ‘...through some blood curse, this man
undergoes nocturnal transformation. He becomes the same shapeshifting trickster
as that mythical dog.’
Scully: ‘So, what is he gonna do? Walk in here,
skitter across the linoleum and pee in the corners?’”
Scully and Mulder talk
dholes, X-Files, Season 6: “Alpha”
The Dhole (Cuon alpinus), also known as the Asiatic Wild Dog, Indian Wild Dog
or Red Dog is an endangered species of Asian canid, and the only member of the
genus Cuon. It once ranged across
East and South Asia from the Russian Far East to Sumatra. Their range has
become severely fragmented and reduced in area: consequently, there are little
over 2,000 individuals left in the wild. The Dhole receives significantly
little attention in popular media as an endangered species compared to its
equally threatened relative the African Wild Dog, due to a lack of
representation – sympathetic or otherwise - in popular media and documentary films.
Dholes are very interesting creatures
the moreso because they have been consistently misunderstood. Like African Wild
Dogs they are intensely pack-focussed, but they exhibit characteristics which
are distinctly feline, such as the ability to climb. They have no unique call
but are noted for their ability to whistle with some facility and to use these
sounds to co-ordinate their hunting strategies. They are also renowned for
their ability as mimics, copying the calls of birds and other animals and even
the tones and cadences of human speech. Like Dingoes, they exhibit considerable
manual dexterity and can accomplish some remarkable tasks including replacing
disturbed objects to cover their passing or intrusion. Dholes have been
reported unscrewing jars and opening other complex containers to access the
contents.
This is no supernatural monster. The wild
dog of Asia lives mainly in dense forests and is sometimes quite vicious. They
travel in packs of up to a dozen individuals, all good enough hunters that they
sometimes bring down water buffaloes or even tigers. They use their calls to
warn companions of different dangers, such as humans, or tigers. These calls
also act as threats to scare off enemies. Its best-known sound though, is its
strange whistle, likened by early naturalists to the sound obtained by blowing
over an empty bullet cartridge. These calls are used for contact within the
pack and the repetitive whistles are so distinctive that individual Dholes can
be identified by it.
Given the cunning of these dogs and
their secretive natures, legends have arisen crediting them with all sorts of
mystical qualities. It is theorised that the dhole is the source of the Chinese
and Japanese legends of foxwives and similar creatures. When using them in this
narrative, it is possible to have local villagers discuss them in terms of superstitious dread and fear. An attack
staged by the Keeper could be
a raid to obtain food by a dozen-strong pack on lean times. Their mimicry and
strange whistling can be used to good effect to heighten the weird atmosphere
of the tale and to disorientate the players. Dholes are very good at causing
distractions and can mimic the tone of particular voices with ease. They are
able to work doorknobs, tent zippers and luggage catches and can even re-fold
clothing to mask their invasion. All of this, in the hands of an imaginative
Keeper, can really rattle even an experienced party of Investigators.
DHOLES, Asian Wild Dogs
STR: 1D6+1 (Average: 4-5)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 1D6 (Average: 3-4)
POW: 3D6 (Average: 9-10)
DEX: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
Move: 15
HP: 7-8
Av.
Damage Bonus: -1d6
Weapon:
Bite: 05%, damage 1d6
Armour:
None
Skills:
Listen 40%; Track 80%; Mimicry 75%
Habitat
Wooded areas of Central, South and Southeast Asia
Dingoes
It may seem odd to add this particular
canid to the list, but recent research has shown that the Dingo was introduced
into Australia as a result of traders entering the top end of the country from
Indonesia, originating in India. And not only the Dingo: the boomerang is a
hunting weapon native to India as well as Australia so it, too, may have come
Down Under from the Sub-continent. Its similarity of appearance and behaviour
to the Dhole makes it a suitable – if displaced - addition to this group.
The Dingo gained itself a lurid notoriety
during the 1970s and 80s as a result of the Azaria Chamberlain murder case, in
which a baby only a few weeks old was snatched from the campsite of its parents
during the dim of sunset at Alice Springs and never found again. Up until this
time, Dingoes were seen as relatively benign animals of no danger to human
beings; the court case forced the world to reassess the matter.
The Dingo is, strictly-speaking, a native
dog which was brought from Southeast Asia by travellers in distant times and
are most likely to have descended from the Dhole. The sandy-coloured breed has
a quiet and occasionally playful temperament and lives in small family groups
of four or five. Many Aboriginal tribes keep dingoes to aid in hunting. Dingoes
are highly intelligent and opportunistic scavengers, occasionally known to
operate in pairs to achieve their goals. They are efficient thieves when they
want to be, able to perform acts of fine manipulation such as opening doors and
this was the finding in the case of the Crown
vs. Lindy Chamberlain. Like any other dog they can bite savagely when
threatened or cornered and travellers should take the standard precautions when
dealing with them. Fortunately, the contraction of rabies is not an issue when
encountering these canids in their home range.
STR: 1D6+1 (Average: 4-5)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 1D6+1 (Average: 4-5)
POW: 1D6+6 (Average: 9-10)
DEX: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
Move: 15
HP: 7-8
Av.
Damage Bonus: -1d6
Weapon:
Bite: 30%, 1d6
Armour:
None
Skills:
Listen 40%; Track 80%
Habitat
Throughout Australia, but mainly in the arid or desert areas
Domesticated Dogs (Canis
familiaris)
“In the particular district
of which I speak it is not an uncommon sight to see little children being torn
to pieces by dogs, the scavengers of the Empire, perhaps the very dogs that had
been their playmates from birth. I have been riding many times and found that
my horse had stepped on a human skull, and nearby were the bones the dogs had
left as the remains of the corpse.”
Edwin John Dingle, Across
China on Foot, 1911
The Chinese treat their canine companions
no better or worse than they treat any other sort of animal, including other
human beings. Dogs in China are used as guardians, for food and for hunting. In
the wilder parts of the country, untrained and unattended dogs tend to form
packs numbering 1d8+3 and hunt any game that falls their way – even their
masters.
ORDINARY DOGS, Faithful Canine Companions
STR: 2D6 (Average: 7)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 1D6+1 (Average: 4-5)
POW: 2D6 (Average: 7)
DEX: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
Move: 12
HP: 7-8
Av.
Damage Bonus: -1d4
Weapon:
Bite: 30%, damage 1d6
Armour:
None
Skills:
Listen 75%; Scent Something Interesting 90%
Habitat:
Wherever humans live
Himalayan Mastiffs (Tsang
Khyi & Do Khyi) (Canis lupus familiaris)
The Himalayan Mastiff is a powerfully
built dog and one of the oldest breeds of canine known. The dog is known for
its loyalty to its owners and also its reserve when encountering unknown
people: this, coupled with its powerful build and heavy jaws makes it the
perfect guard dog. Tibetan nomads and farmers use them in this capacity to protect
flocks and to guard homesteads. Traveller’s tales abound with instances of
attacks by these dogs and their barking is a familiar sound in the plateau
regions since the breed has a tendency to enjoy the sound of its own voice.
The Tibetans recognise two types of
mastiff within the breed although they are not separate species: the Tsang Khyi is the more heavy-set version
used for guard duty while the more lightly-built Do Khyi is used as a sheepdog and is trained to round up and herd
sheep and goats. The Tsang Khyi is a
particular favourite amongst Chinese warlords and thus they are to be found
throughout China as well. Himalayan Mastiffs can weigh as much as 91kgs
(200lbs) and can stand around 65cms (26”) at the shoulder. The European Mastiff
is descended from Himalayan varieties which were brought to the West by
Alexander the Great. The Dalai Lama of the time sent Queen Victoria a Mastiff
named ‘Si-ring’ as a gift in the Nineteenth Century.
HIMALAYAN MASTIFF, Loyal Guard Dog
STR: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
CON: 2D6+8 (Average: 15)
SIZ: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
POW: 2D6 (Average: 7)
DEX: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
Move: 12
HP: 14
Av.
Damage Bonus: +1d4
Weapon:
Bite: 30%, damage 1d6+db
Armour:
None
Skills:
Listen 75%; Scent Something Interesting 90%
Habitat
Tibetan Highlands; Tsang Khyi:
throughout China
Wolf (Canis lupus)
“And then the humans, listening intently,
heard the sound that had roused the dogs to their demonstrations of fear and
rage; heard a long-drawn whining howl, rising and falling, seeming at one
moment leagues away, at others sweeping across the snow until it appeared to
come from the foot of the castle walls. All the starved, cold misery of a
frozen world, all the relentless hunger-fury of the wild, blended with other
forlorn and haunting melodies to which one could give no name, seemed
concentrated in that wailing cry.
‘Wolves!’ cried the Baron.”
Saki, “The
Wolves of Cernogratz”
Wolves are prevalent throughout the
northern and mountainous regions of China although their numbers have increased
from the late 1800s through to today, in marked contrast to other wild
predators in China. Tigers and wolves share the same food sources and, once
tigers were driven into more and more remote regions of the country, wolves
took over their roles in the food chain. In some areas tigers reduced wolf
populations almost to extinction.
Wolves range from 0.6 to 0.95 metres
(1.97-3.12 feet) in height and can weigh up to 38.5 kilograms (85lbs). They are
pack animals with the packs dominated by one male and one female from whom the
other pack members descend. These packs are very territorial, roaming an
average area of 200 kilometres squared (77.2 miles squared) and defending it
from other packs. Wolves are very intolerant of other canine species and will drive
off or kill interlopers where they encounter them. Wolves are good pack
hunters, able to drive Asiatic Black Bears from their kills, but they usually
only display exceptional co-ordination in their attacks when hunting in pairs.
Wolves are opportunistic in their
foraging, targeting deer, antelopes and rabbits for food but willing to catch
fish or scavenge the kills of other predators if necessary. Only extreme hunger
will drive a wolf to attack a human being and, as with their other hunting
efforts, the weakest members of a group – usually women and children - will be
targeted first. That being said, studies have shown that wolves, where they are
allowed to live in close proximity to humans and become habituated to their
presence, will develop strategies to attack and kill human beings; if these
packs are exterminated, this learned response soon disappears in the species.
In this way, while in France in the Middle Ages wolves caused many human
deaths, the wolf today is a comparatively harmless predator, vis-a-vis humans, given its size and
position in the food chain.
WOLF,
Shadowy Pack Hunter
STR: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
CON: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
SIZ: 2D6+1 (Average: 8)
POW: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
DEX: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
Move: 12
HP: 9-10
Av.
Damage Bonus: none
Weapon:
Bite: 30%, damage 1d8
Armour:
1 point of fur
Skills: Spot Hidden: 60%; Track by Smell: 80%
Habitat
Rare throughout China in the 19th Century; restricted to the northern and
Western ranges in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Asiatic
Black Bear (Ursus thibetanus)
Bears are distantly-related to dogs, thus
their inclusion here (my alternative was to name this post “Lions and Tigers and Bears” but there are no lions in Asia. Since
I was gonna fall outside the lines either way, I chose this option. Bite me.).
The Asiatic Black Bear, also called the “Tibetan
Black Bear” or “Moon Bear”, is the smaller and more aggressive cousin of the
American Black Bear. It has a shaggier pelt and a distinctive white or cream
crescent across its chest. It ranges the same territory as the Giant Panda
although the dietary requirements of both species do not seriously overlap; its
territory includes the Northwest and west of China, and there are colonies in
Manchuria, Korea and Japan. In modern times, the species is threatened by
incursions of humans into its territory and its controversial use in Chinese
medicine.
The Asiatic Black Bear is quick to anger
and will actively pursue people who annoy or startle it. A handful of attacks
are reported each year, with many resulting in the death of the victim. Like
other bears, once the bear has connected with both paws it automatically hugs
for extra damage.
Moon Bears are caged in China and their
bile is harvested by means of a catheter and used in Chinese medicine. This
practise has outraged people across the world for the cruel treatment of the
caged creatures and also due to the fact that synthetic compounds exist which
are far more efficacious. Several organisations exist to lobby the Chinese
government to curtail the practise and to liberate the bears. Their website
addresses can be found below.
ASIATIC
BLACK BEAR, Moon Bear
STR: 3D6+10 (Average: 20-21)
CON: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
SIZ: 2D6+6 (Average: 13)
POW: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
DEX: 3D6 (Average: 10-11)
Move: 16
HP: 17
Av.
Damage Bonus: +2d6
Weapon:
Bite:25%, damage 1d10; Claw:40%, damage 1d6+db; Slap: 25% damage db
Armour:
5
Skills: Climb: 30%; Listen: 75%; Scent Prey: 70%
Habitat Northern and
Western China; Korea & Japan
*****
Fox Spirits
Since early times foxes have been
observed in China emerging from poorly-buried or exposed coffins; this has led
to them having an association with death, along with other such creatures as
weasels, stoats and martens, which also indulge in similar unsavoury pastimes.
In legends, the Fox Spirit often has wondrous powers linked to the earth:
innate knowledge of impending floods, droughts, or crop failures, and knowing
the whereabouts of buried treasure are common occurrences. The aboriginal Miao
tribes of China have a subculture referred to as the ‘Dog-headed Miao’, whose
origins are linked to humanoids with canine-like heads and who wear elaborate
headdresses to hide their disfigurations. Through the lens of the Cthulhu
Mythos, this information leads unerringly to the conclusion that these
creatures are actually Ghouls.
*****
Animal Welfare Websites:
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