The River Horses of The Ismake River

 The Great Ismake River Horse, Domesticated Jeupou, oil painting by Reten Jen Apshot

In my early years I traveled up the Ismake River, it already was filled with both Graavals and great numbers of River horses, this was more than one Millennia ago and back then the wild Jeupou river horses were just that wild, river loving beasts that constantly caused worry for those that wanted to pass their river into the North Mangroves of the Great Ganathor Swamp. 

If my memory serves me right about two hundred years ago the tribes of barbaric humans managed to tame the river dwelling Jeupou and turn it into a beast of burden, trained to pull river rafts, help them with transport and harvest, and also work as a ferocious beast in war, capsizing enemy rafts, canoes and snap their spears like they were little twigs in these beasts mouths. 

Few things is as fearsome than facing a geared up Jeupou with a Graaval lance running towards you or swimming in full speed as when in motion even its death would not prevent the sharpened lance to skewer you and probably another 3 - 4 other soldiers before this great beast comes to full rest in the waters.

The Jeupou, also serves as a great source of food, in my young years I remember how we enjoyed eating the fresh prepared meats from one most ferocious Jeupou which we luckily were not able to slay us first, but instead became a most delicious treat, and the meat when salted and prepared lasted us for the whole four month travels up the Ismake River.

I have never tasted the pink colored Jeupou milk myself, since back then the beasts were not willing to share their pink milk with others than their young, unlike the Jeupou of today's tribes in Ilix which use the pink milk an all forms, butter, cheese, fresh milk, Jeupou Soap and so much more. Perhaps I should even work on getting back to where my young years served me well one more time and try out the new meals of the land, it seems so much have changed since then.

Mester Dominae Lurius I of Lanifoel, reminiscing about his younger years of eating River Horse meat while exploring the Northern Mangroves and Ismake River in the Ganathor Swamp.