Brobdee

Brobdee
Base Information
Classification	Herbivore-grazer
Terrain	Clear
Locomotion	Walker (motile)
Size	2.8m (1000kg)
Speed	40kph
Strength	Strong
Social Structure	Small Herd
Weapons	Peds
Armor	Skin
Source
Homeworld	Terra/Sol (Solomani Rim 1827)
Multi-world	Yes
Canon	No
Extinct	Extant
Reference

The Brobdee, a large species of horse, is found throughout the Distant Fringe. The species is descended from Terran horses (Equus caballus) originally grown in GenPods. The Brobdee is versatile, adaptable and fills a wide variety of roles, particularly in poorly developed or technologically backward areas. The name appears to derive from "Brobdingnagian", meaning huge or gigantic. Brobdees are primarily used as draft and pack animals.

Physiology & Ecology

The Brobdee is a herbivore descended from horses native to plains terrain on Terra (1827 Solomani Rim) but raised on worlds across the Distant Fringe. The Brobdee is a large slow grazer. It is a bilateral walker classified HBS-T-LN-LN-T: Brobdees have a long narrow head, a muscular neck, a stocky torso with paired legs at either end, and a thin tail. Their primary weapons are their legs, which terminate in hard hooves. The body is characterised by a bony interior and is covered by furry skin: the neck and head have a narrow lateral mane and the tail is entirely covered in long hair. Interior fluids are blood. The Brobdee is a clear terrain walker. Based on its profile: thick, standard and large, the Brobdee is around 2.8m long, around 1 cubic meter, weighs around 1000kg, and is typically around 1.8m tall at the shoulder – the neck and head, when held upright, add another meter to its height. The Brobdee's speed is rated as slow: maximum speed is 40kph (galloping). It may also trot (at around 15kph) for periods of around an hour. A typical Brobdee has an Endurance of 10.

Brobdees are herd animals. In small groups they are generally calm and passive, spending much of their time grazing. Their primary instinct is to flee from danger. If a Brobdee fights it rears and plunges, attempting to kick and trample a foe. Brobdee may occasionally bite or kick without provocation. A Brobdee is trainable.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

There are two genders: male (stallions) and female (mares). Foals are born after a gestation period of approximately 11 months. Foals are able to stand within minutes of birth and can gallop within a day. A Brobdee grows from a foal to an adult-sized animal in around a year, and continues to strengthen and develop until it reaches sexual maturity at around 2 years of age. A Brobdee will typically live for 30–35 years in the wild, though domesticated animals may live for more than 50 years.

Diet & Trophics

Brobdees are grazers and spend much of their time consuming grasses or similar area-producing vegetation: the species are known for their hardiness and their digestive tolerance for a wide variety of plant types. In addition to their natural grazing they will happily eat grain, some fruits and other plant-derived foodstuffs.

History & Background

The Brobdee is edible by humans; its flesh tastes pleasant, though humans tend to have an irrational aversion to eating its meat. The skin can be used to make leather and hair from the mane and tail is used for a variety of purposes.

Brobdees were selectively bred from horses that were carried to the Distant Fringe aboard the Last Armada as embryos and grown in GenPods. Brobdees - familiar and reliable Terran creatures with relatively similar needs to humans - became common within the Second and Third Confederations and throughout the Distant Fringe region. Small populations of Brobdees became feral during the Dark Age - their descendants can still be found on some worlds.

They are closely related to Horvath's Ponies and are able to interbreed with them. Brobdees are now most commonly seen around the Yimin Jiti state but can be found all across the region.

Trained Brobdees

Brobdees are relatively easy to train and are generally placid and docile, though their temperament and cooperativeness varies with individual creatures.

They are commonly trained to at least three purposes:

1. Pack animal: A Brobdee can be comfortably loaded with up to 350kgs and can carry its burden at a speed of around 5kph for up to 10 hours.
2. Draft animal: A Brobdee suitably harnessed to a wagon can pull a load of up to 1000kg for up to 10 hours. Teams of two or more Brobdees hitched together can pull correspondingly greater loads. A wagon-hitched Brobdee is capable of a burst of speed (up to 15kph) for around 10 minutes in every hour.
3. Riding animal: The Brobdee can carry a rider and their personal equipment (to a maximum of 350kg) for up to 10 hours. A ridden Brobdee is capable of a burst of speed (galloping, at up to 40kph) for around 10 minutes in every hour, or may be trotted (at around 15kph) for up to one hour in two. Brobdees may be trained to attack (by biting, plunging and kicking), though during such actions the rider can do little more than hang on. Brobdees are average jumpers and may clear obstacles of less than half their height, depending on the local gravity. A ridden Brobdee requires an appropriate saddle and tack.

See also: Vehicles of the Distant Fringe

Travellers' Aid Society Advisory

The Travellers' Aid Society (TAS) classifies the Brobdee as harmless to most sophonts. It makes no special advisory regarding this creature.

References & Contributors / Sources

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science