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Kangreel Rider — Description
And now I bring you some more of my beloved creatures! ^^ I really love how this one turned out. I wanted there to several more creatures in this, plus a background and another human, but for now I want to at least post what I have. I still can't believe how well it turned out! Yay for properly done perspective!

Excerpt from The Royal Palapian Beastiary: The Kangreel

A Kangreel is certainly an interesting beast. While very closely resembling the well-known kangaroo, it is much larger and more muscular. Also, where kangaroos can only hop on locked legs, the kangreel possesses unique structure that allows long-distance jumping or regular running, although it is much faster and more agile while jumping. Running is usually reserved for tight areas where jumping is unpractical, but greatly decreases speed.

Another notable difference are the slightly curved horns. A kangreel is born with only a small nose horn nub and bony protrusions on the tail and back. As it reaches maturity, the horns elongate and sharpen. An adult kangreel will have a single horn on the center of the snout, a line of four or five shorter horns down the back, and four at the end of the tail. These, combined with powerful limbs, a club-like tail which can also be stood upon like a fifth limb, and small but sharp claws, makes an adult kangreel extremely formidable.

An adult male will reach between six and eight feet tall, not including the ears, with a tail of four to five feet in length. Kangreels generally traverse sparse deserts and open plains, where their long leaps can be the most effective. A full-grown kangreel can leap incredibly long distances - some have been known to span the length of entire city blocks in one jump. Family-wise, a pack of kangreel will generally consist of a dominant male, several lesser males, females, and young, with numbers ranging from two to ten. The young are carried in a large pouch on the stomach of the mother until the age of six weeks, and then are introduced to the outside world permanently. The males will join together to defend the females and young, although an adult female kangreel is just as formidable to most predators. An adult kangreel of either gender can often take down a single macecat or rhinoc by themselves.

Kangreel have excellent hearing and eyesight, and are almost impossible to take by surprise, making them all the harder to capture in the wild. They are covered with short, soft fur of a sandy brown color with lighter belly fur, and are herbivores.

As a riding beast, the kangreel is as highly valued as it is specialized. A unique saddle must be firmly strapped to the creature's back, in such a way that the rider is belted in and can lay almost flat on one's stomach when the kangreel is going full speed. The saddle also covers the short horns on the back so that the rider cannot be accidentally gored.

Despite being one of the fastest and most protective mounts when properly trained, only a select few can truly master riding one. A kangreel must be raised from a young age to carry a rider, as they are impossible to tame after the age of two years; they are incredibly defensive, and nothing short of a sedative can allow a person to approach a wild kangreel with harness and saddle.

There is also the matter of adapting to the ride. The first few jumps as a kangreel gains momentum are bone-jarring, to say the least, and if one is not properly belted in, it is nearly impossible to stay in the saddle for more than five seconds. Most accidents occur in the simple matter of starting off. Despite this, once the kangreel has had a chance to get its rhythm going, the ride is generally smooth as natural shock-absorbing muscles in the legs dull the sensation.

However, if one has the stomach and stamina to adjust to first jolting bounds, and to stay with the beast long enough to form a familiar bond, there is no more loyal riding mount in the world. The kangreel will defend its rider at any cost, generally keeping its back away from the predator and using its strong tail to stand and deliver kicks that could take off the head of a mule with a direct blow. And if defense is no option, then with a few simple bounds, this agile creature can escape almost any attack and be away like a shot. Few can catch a bounding kangreel at top speed.

Kangreels are used most by brave lone riders, messengers, and long-distance mail carriers, as their saddles do not have much room for luggage.

More on the picture: the girl here is nameless, mainly just a way of showing how a riding kangreel would look. And the little creature on the ground is a Ruffed Brilloit, a small weasel-like animal that can stand on its hind legs like a meercat and has a slightly prehensile tail. They make good pets and are valued for their soft fur and playful nature. This one can ride on the girl's shoulder if it digs it's claws firmly enough into her vest, or simply hide away in a backpack.

Hope you like! Please comment, I'd love to hear what you have to say! This was fun, either way. ^^ Oh, and if you please, put a * in the comments if you read this!

Kangreel and Ruffed Brilloit are copyright me.
Drawing done in mechanical pencil, during Sept. 2008 (so this is a REALLY recent one!)