A large, houndlike, nocturnal carnivoran (they will hunt only once the moon has left the sky), the ursa can grow up to sixteen feet in height (when reared on hindquarters) and can reach great speeds on its short, thick legs. Equally at home in water or on land, it can outpace both a seula and a horse with ease, and its six unretractile claws help it climb with unexpected dexterity. This dexterity is crudely mechanical, even allowing for the opening of doors or windows. Completely hairless, it has a dense layer of blubber beneath its brilliant white skin. This insulates the animal perfectly, regulating blood temperature in even the harshest conditions as well as providing protection from attack—even from the bullets of the most powerful rifle. Ursa hides, teeth, and bones are highly valued by traders, but the animals’ strength, ferocity, and resistance to gunfire make them rare game, and their habit of eating fermented sunberries (the ingestion of which fuels aggression) means even well-armed huntsmen shy from their pursuit.
