Bears

Bears are large omnivorous mammals which have adapted to a variety of habitats on more than one world.

Hill Bears and Brown Bears
The Sosarian hill bears and their cousins which stalk the southern forests of Serpent Isle are similar to the ursids of Earth, standing between five to nine feet in height and weighing as much as 1,500 pounds. The bears of these lands typically sport shaggy brown or black fur, and go through a torpor-like hibernation cycle in the winter seasons. Equipped with immense strength, strong jaws and a thick hide, an average bear is more than capable of dispatching an unarmed human opponent.

Unlike their cousins on Earth, however, the bears of old and new Sosaria are far removed from the shy solitary creatures of the Terran forests, who can be easily startled by simple shouts and yells. While terrestrial bears have posed a threat to those who interfere with their young or venture too close for their comfort, the bears of Earth in no way match the unprovoked ferocity seen within the ursids of these lands, with the forest-dwelling hunters attacking any human who ventures within sight of them.

In the years before Ultima IX, the species of bears appears to have gone extinct without any explanation, but the probable culprit is the plague that wiped out the horses.

Polar Bears
In the north lands of cold worlds such as Serpent Isle, polar bears can be found, remarkable for their white fur which allows them to blend in with the arctic landscape. Unlike their relatives in warmer climes, polar bears tend to be near exclusive carnivores, as their harsh environment furnishes them with little by the way of vegetation.

On Serpent Isle, these beasts of the wintry north prove just as vicious as their southern relations, often attacking without provocation in fashion most dissimilar to their Terran analogues. Furthermore, the polar bears of New Sosaria have little aside from their coats which differentiate them from the bears of the forest, whereas on the Avatar's homeland, it is said that arctic bears are substantially larger than all other breeds, and hold position as the largest land-dwelling predators of that world.

In Utlima IX, two polar bearskin rugs can be found, though their origin is unknown.

Bears in Eodon
In the hidden valley of Eodon, there exists a multitude of strange and exotic fauna. Numbering among these are the cave bears of prehistoric record; largely vegetarian mammals of a size much the same as their descendants who do little in the way of invoking combat. Nevertheless, the cave bear can still hold its own in a fight if attacked.

The Eodonian cave bear is also one of several mammals found on Eodon that will yield edible meat when skinned with a knife.

Bears in Symbolism
Within the lands of the Savage Empire, the bear constituted an idol of strength, and following one within a dream at crucial moments would aid in manifesting one's desire for physical prowess. The bear also figured into the totemic Clans which divided the city of Monitor on the Serpent Isle, with an order of knights taking on the name of the bear to evoke their defensive strength in defending the goblin-besieged city.