Groat

Groat
Adult Female
Base Information
Classification	Herbivore/grazer
Terrain	{{{terrain}}}
Locomotion	Walk
Size	large
Speed	Extra Slow
Strength	Standard
Social Structure	Medium pack
Weapons	Scent glands
Armor	{{{armor}}}
Body Structure
Symmetry	bilateral
Head/Torso	Head with brain/senses
Limbs & Manipulators	2 fore legs, 2 rear legs
Tail	1 tail
Skeleton	Bony interior
Internal Fluids	Blood
Skin	Furry pelt
Natural Weapons	Scent glands
Body Shape
Size	large
Stance	Horizontal
Length/Height	1.3 meters
Body Profile	Typical
Weight	27 kilograms
Details
Edibility	Yes
Training Difficulty	No
Source
Homeworld	Fulacin (Spinward Marches 2613)
Multi-world	Yes
Canon	Yes
Reference	Twilight's Peak 21.

The Groat is a herbivore native to Fulacin (Spinward Marches 2613) in the Rhylanor Subsector.

Physiology & Ecology

Individual Groats are harmless, but the outer members of a herd will attack any perceived danger in groups.

They are capable fighters, using teeth and hooves. They posses a scent gland under the tail and are capable of expelling a noxious fluid up to three meters.

Fulacin (Spinward Marches 2613) is well-known for it tainted atmosphere, which is full of toxic levels of microscopic metallics. While toxic to humans, the Groat is perfectly adapted to this tainted atmosphere and flourishes on Fulacin.

Groats have been transplanted to several worlds in the Aramis subsector, most notably Focaline (Spinward Marches 2607).

Life Cycle & Reproduction

Groats are actively bred on a number of worlds and take well to animal husbandry and livestock agriculture despite a potentially vigorous defensive instinct.

Diet & Trophics

Groats are herbivorous grazers, who diet on the autotrophic plant-life of their homeworld of Fulacin (Spinward Marches 2613) and other worlds onto which they have been transplanted.

The Groat's biggest predator is the Fulacinian Snowcat, a native felinoid carnivore/pouncer.

History & Background

The Groat's shaggy hair, known as Groatle, is the most obvious resource it provides. Once sheared, cleaned, and groomed, it has a softness and silkiness rivaling the finest synthetic.

In addition, Groatle contains a high concentration of metal salts, which has two beneficial effects: First, Groatle cloth is proof against most pest lifeforms which eat animal fibers. Second, a simple chemical treatment brings out an iridescent, shimmering quality which is very attractive.

Groats are also raised for their meat, which is highly prized by Vargr.

During the 2nd to 4th Century, Groatle commanded fabulous prices back in the Imperial core. Hunting expeditions went to Fulacin for the sole purpose of catching groats and passing merchants would detour just to collect a few dozen pelts. A side effect was the development of the art of groat-meat scrimshaw carving.

In 377, Moran scientists genetically engineered a variant species of Groat that could survive in environments lacking the high heavy metal content of Fulacin’s soil and atmosphere. The metal content of the pelt was maintained by concentrating what heavy metals the groats did ingest in the pelt, leaving the meat low enough on metal content to be edible; some Vargr actually developed a taste for it. Groat farms reduced the value of Groatle significantly and it soon became unprofitable to go to Fulacin for the Groat hunting alone.

Travellers' Aid Society Advisory

Groats are largely a docile livestock creature and are widely considered harmless. They have a TAS green advisory and are not considered dangerous.

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

Groats are primarily found in coreward parts of Charted Space and are concentrated at:

• Spinward Marches Sector
• Vargr Extents

World Listing: 1105

This creature is known to be found in the following systems and worlds:

5 of 5 World articles in Groat

Focaline  •  Fulacin  •  Kediiga  •  Khasha  •  Mora  •  

startbacknext(5 listed)

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.

• Marc Miller. Twilight's Peak (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 21.
• Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, J. Andrew Keith, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. The Traveller Adventure (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 142.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 592.
• Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Hans Rancke-Madsen of the Ministry of Science
• Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science