feyfolken:

“These Orcish tribes chose an uninhabited mountain region near Old H’roldan in High Rock, for their people were (and most still are) dependent on a rare shaggy giant centipede herdbeast that can live only at high altitudes on alpine and sub-alpine forage.” – The Wild Regions, A Pocket Guide to the Empire, First Edition.

The beautiful art above was done by Rachel K., also known as Banvivirie, over at DeviantArt. I originally ordered the commission after I and a few folks over at the Bethsoft official forums decided that the “shaggy giant centipede" herdbeasts mentioned by the Pocket Guide were probably more akin to large woolly tardigrades. 

Tardigrades are one of the most hardy life forms known to science, being able to survive the cold vacuum of space for at least ten days, and with fossils dating back 530 million years. They can even produce a special “bioglass” to hold together crucial proteins and molecules when under threat of completely drying out.

This seems all the more appropriate a companion for the harried yet enduring Orcs. And their remarkable cuddly-cuteness offsets the harsh and spartan existence of their Orcish masters. I like to think of them as the Orsinium equivalent to the Guars of Morrowind. 

I still need a name for these guys though. So if anyone has a suggestion, please share!

-Feyfolken