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Oothen and Rathen

As stubborn as an Oothen is a common curse and with good reason. The large bovine hexapod, known as a Rathen on The Prelates,  is a powerful, if sometimes reticent, work animal used on both of the large continents, by human, dragon and calliston farmers. 

The animal was domesticated thousands of years ago and is now twice the size and strength of its now rare wild Plains Oothen ancestor which is only a little bigger than an oxen. 

The modern breeds are tough and can be used equally well for ploughing as they can for hauling.  They are thickly haired and generally are found little in the more southerly regions as they do not cope well with the warmer temperatures. 

Being much stronger than horses, a single Oothen can be used instead of two or even four horses.  Although Oothen do not willingly trot like a horse and are therefore much slower, they are more like oxen in that they do not need to rest so frequently and a good oothen driver can cover more leagues in a long day than a horse team. 

For light to medium loads, however, they are not popular.  Oothen do not train as well as horses and though they do not panic so easily as a well trained team of Bekon Browns, if they do decide to misbehave they can be impossibly difficult to control. 

Oothen hides are thick and tough and the leather is much sort after for both general protection and for leather armour in place of steel. The hide is too thick for clothing, but dragons, especially the Draig yr Anailr use it for both protection and warmth, as well as giving their riders a safer ride.

For the Desert Dragons, curing and working Oothen leather is an important source of trade which they share with their human neighbours.

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