Maiko's Note
I like to imagine the animals were just as bewildered as the people when the Theseus landed. Sheep and goats staring out at alien grass, the Falabella stamping tiny hooves at giants of a new world. And then the Endulani, who pulled wolves, bears, and ravens out of memory itself — creatures born not of womb but of code, and yet treated as kin from the very first breath.
The Empire? Of course they chose cats. Aloof, elegant, quietly in charge of everything. In that way, nothing has changed since Earth.
Terrestrian Animals on Madun
Shindjal: Walanari kòu t'Èras
Faction:
Nodilani
“The beasts we carried became the beasts that carried us.”
— Old Awashalani proverb
1. Overview
When the Theseus descended onto Madun, it carried more than humanity’s surviving population. A remnant of Earth’s animal life - both flesh and code - was preserved within its holds and databanks. Sheep, goats, cats, and tiny Falabella horses arrived alive, tended as vital stock for food, fiber, and companionship. Others, stored as genetic blueprints in the ship’s memory, would later be resurrected by settlers. These creatures, altered by time, breeding, and the demands of a new world, became both practical assets and cultural emblems across Shawadjàn.
2. Origins & Migration
Half of the terrestrial animals were sustained aboard the Theseus’s agricultural decks:
Sheep - for wool and meat.
Goats - for milk, meat, and hides.
Falabella horses - miniature stock bred for ease of transport, later reshaped on Madun.
Cats - companions and vermin hunters, who clung closest to the Empire.
The other half remained in the ship’s databanks, archived in DNA printing libraries. During the chaos of the Revolution, Endulani forebears accessed these files to resurrect three species: Ravens, Bears, and Wolves.
3. Adaptation to Madun
Madun’s ecosystems reshaped Earth’s stock. Some adapted through deliberate breeding, others through the circumstances of their rebirth:
Falabella → Faradun Horse: The Awashalani stretched the Falabella into tall, powerful steeds fit for war and herding.
Sheep & Goats: Spread across plains and hills, thriving in the varied climates of Shawadjàn.
Cats: Survived mostly unchanged, their legacy strongest in Hanjelani households.
Ravens, Bears, Wolves: Unlike their Earth ancestors, they were raised from their first breath among humans. With no wild lineage on Madun, these creatures were domesticated from the outset — shaping them into unusually social, cooperative companions who integrated seamlessly into Endulani society.
4. Cultural Roles
Awashalani: Masters of the horse. Their Faradun steeds embody freedom and strength, vital for ranching and warfare.
Hanjelani (Empire): Keepers of cats, symbolic of control and domesticity—creatures that bend nature to household order.
Endulani: Each sub-tribe bears an animal herald:
The Ravens – messengers and watchers.
The Bears – transporters and hunters.
The Wolves – hunters and protectors.
5. Myth & Symbolism
Over generations, Earth’s animals became layered with new meaning:
Horses symbolize the gift of endurance; Awashalani say “a man without a Faradun is no man at all.”
Cats in the Empire are said to carry whispers of Mama Gadun, moving with the stillness of the universe.
Ravens are tied to Sulmalàn, bearers of secrets from the mist.
Bears echo the strength of Krovil, the Lord of the Land, though gentler.
Wolves embody kinship and vigilance, guiding the Endulani through the forests as if they were family.
6. Notable Species Profiles
Faradun Horse: Awashalani warhorse, bred from tiny Falabellas into towering, broad-chested steeds.
Endulani Wolves: Printed and reared within human camps, they never lived as truly wild packs. They bond more tightly with their tribes than Earth wolves ever did with humans, regarded as siblings rather than pets.
Endulani Bears: From birth they grew alongside the western clans, accustomed to firelight and human voices. Unlike Earth’s untamable giants, Endulani bears can be harnessed for fishing boats, sledges, and hunts — though always with respect.
Endulani Ravens: Hand-fed and trained from hatching, they show an uncanny tolerance for human presence. Their loyalty and cleverness go far beyond Earth’s corvids, serving as scouts, messengers, and omens.
Cats of the Empire: Still close to their Earth cousins, cats remain guardians of the household, seen as living emblems of dominion.
Sheep & Goats: Herd animals that spread across plains and hills, carrying the practical legacy of Theseus’s farm decks.
7. Legacy & Significance
The survival and rebirth of Earth’s animals ensured more than food and labor—they anchored humanity’s memory of its first home. On Madun, they are no longer simply terrestrial beasts but woven into the living mythology of the tribes. In their wool, wings, claws, and hooves, the descendants of Earth found both continuity and transformation.
Maiko's Note
I like to imagine the animals were just as bewildered as the people when the Theseus landed. Sheep and goats staring out at alien grass, the Falabella stamping tiny hooves at giants of a new world. And then the Endulani, who pulled wolves, bears, and ravens out of memory itself — creatures born not of womb but of code, and yet treated as kin from the very first breath.
The Empire? Of course they chose cats. Aloof, elegant, quietly in charge of everything. In that way, nothing has changed since Earth.
