Deer

An elk, a species of deer.

The term deer refers to several species of hoofed herd animals. Male deer are often referred to as stags or harts, while female deer are termed hinds. Barasingha, dunlied, elk, megaloceroses, moose reindeer, and taiga caribous are all species of deer.

Appearance

Most deer have four long, slender legs ending in hooves, long snouted faces, and bodies resembling slender horses. All male deer grow and shed antlers, and females of some deer species such as the emperor stag do as well.

Ecology

Deer are foraging creatures who are most active at night and rest during the day. They are a popular target of rural hunters as food animals. Some hunters also mount the antlers or taxidermied heads of deer as trophies, and trappers value deer hides. Since deer graze on plants, they are sometimes predators of leshies.

Deer are often in contact with dryads in forests that they share.

Deer are prey of many predators, including amphisbaenas, bears, chupacabras, dragons, dromornises, frost giants, hippogriffs, hydras, noppera-bos, pagulins, panthers, phoenixes, river drakes, tigers, trolls, wolves, wendigos, wyverns, yetis, and giant badgers and monitor lizards.

A wounded deer emits a high-pitched keening.

On Golarion

Deer species exist in many parts of Golarion, including but not limited to Andoran, Bhopan, Druma, Cheliax, Iobaria, Irrisen, Minkai, the Mwangi Expanse, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, the River Kingdoms, Sarkoris, the Shackles, Taldor, and Ustalav.

The Sureshire family spuriously claimed to have bred the first Taldan warhorses from wild deer and unicorns.

Some barbarians channel their rage into the instinctual behaviors of deer and use antlers in combat, and such wielders of weapons engraved with the fanged rune can transform into deer. Spellcasters who know the animal form spell can transform into deer, as can imbibers of Skogg Bloodhammer's namesake Bloodhammer Reserve. The magical tattoo known as the tooth and claw tattoo can grant the ability to communicate with deer.

As food

Deer meat, alternatively called venison, is particularly valued in Druma, where their grazing diet is considered cleaner than other animals', and deer feature prominently in Drumish fables.

Heraldry

Deer are adopted variously as heraldic symbols. For instance, deer imagery is used throughout Hartsfall Keep in Brevoy and suggests the original owner was a hunter.

In the Great Beyond

Deer are a favored animal of Erastil; kinbonded bows devoted to Erastil bear engraved depictions of leaping deer. Stag archons resemble stag-headed humanoids with large sets of antlers. Erastil's herald is the 30-foot-tall Grim White Stag.

Kellid legends suggest deer were solitary creatures until they learned the power of becoming a herd from the empyreal lord Rowdrosh.

Erecura, queen of Dis, also holds deer sacred.

External links

• Deer (real-world animal) on Wikipedia
• Venison (real-world meat) on Wikipedia