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Muskwurm — Description

Not all beasts of the frozen north are wild and vicious, for it is still a place with people and civilization. Indeed, the population is much smaller and scattered, but it still exists. There are villages and towns, and while the cold may make crop farming difficult, it just means folks turn more to livestock to help fill bellies and create goods. The muskwurm is one such species, a neotenous caterpillar that is known for its thick hair and potent odor. Large in size, they have a noticeable hump as well as two rows of hairy tubercles running down their body. Each one is covered in sharp stiff hairs with a singular stabbing spine in the middle. These obviously serve as defense, but they aren't the only weapon the muskwurm possesses.
Upon the head is a hardened structure that is actually a protruding part of the prothorax. It sits upon the head like a helmet and is covered in openings that release its signature musky scent. From that are two curved structures that look like horns, yet they are hardened osmeterium that serve the same purpose. Tough and pointed, they are used to stab at predators, while competing males are known to butt heads with one another. The "horns" also secrete the musk, making them foul weapons that leave foes with stinking wounds. The fluid they inflict may not be venomous or disease-ridden, but the strong smell tied to it can wind up marking predators and make them targets for other beasts. The back tufts hold that powerful musk as well, making approach on an angry muskwurm quite nauseating with its stench. Yet, not all in the frozen north find this wurm foul.
For the Skeggrs, muskwurms are a vital beast for their villages and lifestyle. One of their most famous and common livestock that they keep. They are easy to care for, as they feed upon vegetation, mosses and lichens. Their large size also means they provide a fair amount of meat when butchered, but one doesn't need to wait til slaughter to derive benefit from these caterpillars. Their thick coats of hair can be harvested during warmer times, which the Skeggrs use to knit and weave in place of their own body hair. While the impressive hair of the Skeggrs eliminates the need for clothes, there are certain parts of their body that are a bit lacking in that department. Gloves and socks are commonly made, and some may weave muskwurm hair into their own when they are found lacking. When their society started seeing more visitors to their shores, a portion of the harvested hair was soon turned to clothing and warming garb for outsiders, which is a good business for those unprepared for the hostile environment.
The other material taken from the muskwurm is their namesake, as the Skeggrs collect their secreted musk. The thick sticky substance is brown in color and potent in smell, yet they have learned how to refine it. Special preparation dilutes the odor into something tamer, yet retaining an earthy, beast smell to it. Skeggrs find it pleasing, but also symbolic. It is an odor of beast and nature, used to infuse their own spirit with its power, thus heavy use in ceremony. It should be no surprise that this musk is a main ingredient for their "guardhair tonics," special brews that they apply to their woven body hair to harden it into the thickness and strength of armor. With their styling skills, their hair is shaped and transformed for both offense and defense. Long braids twisted into horns or antlers, mustaches curved into tusks. The hair of the body and head are morphed into a full suit of armor, meaning Skeggrs are always dressed for battle as long as they have a bottle of tonic at hand. It is a fact that outsiders find fascinating when reading, but a little off-putting when seeing in person. Or, well, smelling in person. The strong body odor of the Skeggrs is well known, and them dousing themselves in musk extract certainly doesn't help that fact.
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The idea was originally "literal musk ox" from @Lediblock2 , which I did draw up, but then wound up not liking the design. So I turned it into a caterpillar instead. Why? It just felt right.