A Mûmak
The huge, fearsome, and majestic Mûmak (Har. "Grey Brother";W. "oliphaunt"; P. "tembo"; pl. "tembovi"); (sing. "mûmak") was a close relative of the Andamunda (elephant) and was often referred to as the Gorsandamunda (Q. "Great Elephant"). It was the "lord" of Endor's southern wilds. Growing up to thirty feet in length and standing up to 17 feet in height at the shoulder, they had few foes. Fortunately for their rivals, though, Mûmakil were vegetarians. They rested in the midday heat and occasionally relaxed at night, but most of the time they roamed in search of nutritious roots, leaves, shoots, twigs, and fruits. Using their agile trunks and huge tusks, which grew as long as 7', they could reach through narrow clefts and dig through the toughest soils. These social beasts traveled in herds and adapted well (albeit reluctantly) to domestication.
When roused though, they could be deadly fighters. Both the Ûsakanil and the Mûmakanril had long prized them as mounts for war. Unlike lesser elephantic beasts, the mûmak relished battle and bloodshed. The Haradrim built great howdahs (fighting towers) to place on the backs of these largest of domesticated beasts and decorate the legs and tusks of the mûmakil as well. A mûmak fully arrayed for battle was an awesome, glorious, and terrifying sight. The thick hides of mûmakil made them almost invulnerable to arrows, except for their eyes, but when blinded in this fashion they often ran mad with pain, trampling and destroying everyting in their paths.
References[]
- Retrieved from [Realms of Arda]; original reference: [ICE MERP 2012]