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Castore — Description

A rough land and climate calls for some powerful adaptations and survival tactics. There are ways to master the environment, find hidden niches and outwit hungry predators. The animals of this land come up with some ingenious tactics, but the castore is certainly up there with its...unique way of surviving.
The castore is a mammal of the northern lands, one that is easily identified by its prominent gnawing teeth, scaly limbs and hefty tail. It makes its home near the frozen forests, tundra and various fluid bodies. Amphibious in nature, its feet are webbed to help it swim, while bearing claws that let it grip slippery terrain. One of its most prominent features is its thick scaled tail, covered in the same keratin armor that its limbs possess. The appendage is bulky and rounded, looking like a pinecone or weighty club. The castore is a herbivore, gnawing upon plants and growths, targeting bark and food with thick rinds. It has a love for trees, using its powerful teeth to chew them down, feed on the fallen, then collect branches and pieces to build its nest. The strong tail is used to knock over weakened plants or crack built up ice that gets in its way. Their elaborate "lodges" are built in fluid, the result of countless branches that have been collected and lumped together to make a dwelling safe from elements and predators.
Incredible homes and club-like tail are famous details of the castore, yet there is another part of them that outshines both. Anyone affiliated with medicine or perfume know the answer, and it is their aromatic exudate that they use for territory markings. Castores possess a special pair of glands that generate this fluid, dubbed "castoreum," that they mix with their urine to mark their lodge and property. Both sexes have these glands, but the males carry the biggest set. Combined with their reproductive organs, they are located in their testicles, which swell during the breeding season. This odorous fluid helps them stand out amongst rivals, and claim both territory and mates. However, this exudate is appealing to more than just other castore.
The castoreum of this species is their measure of health and success, but it also serves as a curse. The liquid has an appealing smell, with fresh samples having an almost desserty hint to it, while time turns it into a more leathery odor. While other beasts may not fully appreciate the rich aroma, the scent does make the castore easier to track. Thus comes the curse of their fluid, as the stronger and smellier it is, the better mates and territory a male can claim. But that also means more predators can detect them, thus making them easy targets. And it isn't just carnivores that want a piece of the castore, man has a great deal of interest in their fluid too.
Extraction of these glands and the castoreum yields a potent resource. In the field of healing, it has a medicinal quality that can be unlocked with the right mixtures and treatment. Drugs for seizures, palsy and other spasms are derived from castoreum, and there are a number of poisons that can be treated with it as well. For masters of perfume, this fluid is considered one of the "Heavenly Fragrances," and is utilized in many of the fanciest aromas. The testicles that hold these glands are also considered a delicacy, a meal that promotes good health, vigor and libido. As one can imagine, the sacs of these castore carry high prices, and thus can earn one a great deal of coin. Males of the species are especially targeted, for theirs is the best in both amount and potency. This leads to the species being heavily targeted by hunters, be they man or beast, and the castore is no fighter. In a pinch, they may retaliate with heavy tail strikes or mutilating bites from their strong teeth, but it is hard to dissuade these pursuers. Somehow, the castore has realized why they are being targeted, and the males have learned to "give them what they want."
It is a tactic that has to be seen to be believed, though many folks (especially males) have no desire to witness such a thing. When a castore is pursued by hunters, it will try to run to fluid or the protection of its lodge. It has a decent speed, but that only works if shelter is close by. Long distance escape is much harder, and it is only a matter of time before their attacker catches them. If the castore (particularly the males) realize they won't be able to escape, they will decide that a distraction is needed. The castore will stop in its flight, bow its head between its legs and bite off these gland sacs. For males, it means chewing off their own gonads, which are then left behind as it continues its flight. This self mutilation deposits these aromatic sacs on the ground, which will draw the attention of their predators. For animals, it means a free meal, giving the castore time to escape. For humans, it is exactly what they want. The precious castoreum, without having to actually kill the creature! This appeasement means the castore gets to live another day, and thankfully such organs are able to regenerate over time.
The castoreum and its strange way of escaping foes has certainly cemented the castore within local culture. Obviously, their sacs are harvested for use in medicine and ceremony, with the added bonus that they can be collected without killing the animal. Hunters have learned how to harmlessly harass the species until they bite their sacs off, which then can be collected. The method has been used so often, that it seems that the castore have even picked up on this. When a sacless castore is being harassed, it may flip its body over and expose its lack of nethers, showing the hunter that there is no prize here. Wise men would leave the creature alone, with the claims that only those "with less balls than the castore" would continue to hunt it. In some areas, the whole beast is slain, as they also harvest meat and fur. The tail itself is a delectable treat, while the fur has grown in popularity to make hats. The tale of the castore and its precious fluid is told to symbolize those whose blessings have become a burden. When one has amassed too much that they become targets, and thus they must sacrifice something precious or lose their lives. There is an important lesson to be learned from this, but a lot of folk have a hard time getting past the whole "bite your own balls off" part.
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Castore? More like Castrato-
This nut gnawing beast was suggested by @Lediblock2 , who informed me about the....interesting tactics of medieval beavers.