The many animals native to Thedas. Some are beasts of burden. Others are rare, even mythical things. They may lurk underground or soar overhead. Among the most dangerous are those born to the Blight. Knowing which animals are harmless and which might eat you whole is essential for survival in this brutal world. Animals vary greatly depending on their location, but generally fall into two distinct groups: those found aboveground and those that dwell underneath.
Wild animals such as rabbits, fish, spiders, rats, birds, bears, and wolves are common to forests and plains. ln more populated areas, common domesticated animals include cats, dogs, chickens, and cows. Various breeds of each species exist throughout Thedas, from the working cattle of the Free Marches to the tiny toy dogs so popular in fashionable Orlesian circles.
Mabari: Dogs are a significant part of Fereldan society, and no breed is more prized than the mabari. A Fereldan proverb holds that "the mabari is clever enough to speak, and wise enough to know not to." Prized for their intelligence and loyalty, mabari are more than mere weapons or status symbols. These hounds choose their masters and pair with them for life. To be the master of a mabari anywhere in Ferelden is to be instantly recognized as a person of worth.
The mabari are an integral part of Fereldan military strategy. Trained hounds can easily pull knights from horseback or break lines of pikemen. The sight and sound of a wave of war dogs, howling and snarling, has been known to cause panic among even the most hardened infantry soldiers.
Halla: Halla are large, white, deerlike creatures that are sacred to the Dalish elves. They are much larger and swifter than their deer counterparts, with prominent, twisting horns. It is standard for a halla's keeper to carve its antlers as they grow, making them curve into unique and aesthetic shapes. The antlers fetch a high price in the lmperium.
In ancient times, halla carried Dalish knights into battle. With the fall of the Dales, halla are now most commonly seen pulling the caravels of the Dalish. The Dalish regard halla as companions, rather than livestock.
Giant Spider: The giant arachnids that lurk in the depths of the Deep Roads feed mainly on large bats they catch in webbing, but have been known to attack larger prey. There are many varieties of giant spider. Though their size alone makes all kinds a threat, giant poisonous spiders are among the most deadly. At the center of a family of giant spiders is a queen. Her offspring arc called spiderlings in early stages of development. Even the smallest spiderling can be dangerous.
Nug: A nug is a hairless, nearly blind creature that resembles a small pig. These harmless, docile omnivores populate the underground tunnels of the dwarves, and are known to eat almost anything they find on the cavern floors, including insects, worms, and when the pickings are lean, limestone and simple metals. Their large snouts are excellent for digging in the shallow pools and mud pits they frequent; this practice led to the dwarven nickname of "mud splashers." Nugs can also be found in Orzammar proper, on the tables of the poorer slum areas or even as a domesticated pet.
Brontos: Brontos are hulking, sturdy animals select ively bred by the dwarven Shaperate as beasts of burden and food sources. Some breeds were developed as dwarven mounts, valued far more for their surefootedness and stamina than for their speed.
While present within Orzammar in large numbers, some brontos still exist in small packs within the Deep Roads, having returned to a wild state after the fall of the dwarven kingdoms. They require remarkably little sustenance, consuming organic material from water, fungus, and even rocks-hence the "rock licker" nickname ascribed to them by the dwarves. Brontos are generally docile, but are dangerous if provoked to charge.
Deepstalker: Deepstalkers are cave-dwelling creatures found largely in the Deep Roads and caverns beneath dwarven thaigs. When rolled up, the creatures resemble large rocks. When they unroll, their pointy, reptilian features and razor claws are unmistakable.
Deepstalkers hunt in small packs, and fall into several types. Spitters have venom glands and expectorate secretions that slow or injure their prey. Jumpers hurl themselves at their targets, knocking them down to accelerate the kill. A common stalker may instinctively distract its prey as the rest of the pack closes in. Dwarves call deepstalkers tezpadam.
Dragons are fire breathing, reptilian creatures that live primarily underground. They are classified by the various forms taken as they age. Dragons were long believed extinct, but reemerged at the end of the Blessed Age, promoting the Chantry to name the present age after them.
Dragonling: Newly hatched dragons are roughly the size of a deer and voraciously hungry. They live for a short time in their mother's lair before venturing out on their own. The slender, wingless creatures are born in vast numbers, but only a few ever make it to adulthood.
Drake: A drake is the mature form of an adult male dragon. Drake's are intelligent, almost sly, yet ferocious beasts. Once they have fully matured, male dragons seek out the lairs of adult female dragons. When they find one, they move into her lair and spend the rest of their lives there, hunting for her and defending her young. Drakes never develop wings- at most, their forelegs grow vestigial spurs where wing membranes might have been. They have no need for powerful wings because once they bond with a female, they rarely travel far from her lair.
A high dragon will have a dozen or more drakes guarding her young, constantly fighting among themselves for the right to mate. They will aggressively defend her nest, and many would-be dragon hunters have been lost to their fiery breath and crushing blows from their tails. Drakes can live for a century but usually due much earlier while defending the lair.
Dragon: The term "dragon" technically refers to the adult female as opposed to the male drake. Dragons are quick, naturally armored, and command torrents of fire as easily as a man hefts a sword. Around a hundred years of age, a females darken in color and grow the iconic wings of their species. Naturally inquisitive and aggressive, they range far and wide in search of a lair. This is the most likely time that the species will come into contact with people. Keeping an area free of suitable nesting sites, such as abandoned ruins or open cave networks can encourage the creature to move on, but dragons are so rare that few Thedosians think to take precautions. Dragons do not speak, but their resilience will surprise any who might regard them as unintelligent.
High Dragon: A fully mature adult female is known as a high dragon: a great winged monster of legend and the rarest of all dragonkind. High dragons hollow out massive lairs for the space needed to house an entire herem of drakes, as well as eggs and dragonlings.
High dragons are seldom seen in Thedas. They spend most of their time sleeping, matting, and living off the prey the drakes provide. When a high dragon prepares to lay eggs, as he will emerge from her lair and take wing, flying far and wide, eating hundreds of wild animals and livestock over the course of a few weeks and leaving smoldering deviation in her wake. She will return to her lair to lay her clutch and will not be seen again outside her lair for many years.