The Zûrafy of Nûrad, northern Khey Sârt, and the Talathrant Valley resembled stout giraffes with long, spikelike horns. They were related to deer and fed on the foliage, fruit, and buds found in the upper part of trees or tall scrub. In harsher locales, a zûrafa would stoop to eat grasses, and herds of the beasts had been known to devastate crops.
The Nûriags, Variags, and Khey used the zûrafy as mounts, for they were swift, fearless, and exceedingly fierce combatants. Because of their limited numbers and the difficulty in capturing and domesticating them, though, only small numbers of the beasts had been employed outside the circles of royalty.
Most zûrafy had a whitish or light tan coat and brown and white striped legs. Their horns were covered with short, white hair which they never shed. The rare, omnivorous, nocturnal Variag zûrafa was jet black.
Speculations[]
The Zîrafy may be inspired or identical with the prehistoric Sivatherium,Mitilanotherium, Climacoceratida, Shansitherium or Palaeotragus.
References[]
- Retrieved from Realms of Arda; original reference: [ICE MERP 2012]