Lesser-Known Animals of Tamriel: Archon Ebony Coypu

The common man, woman or child may leave their house on any given day of the week in the many towns and cities across Tamriel, and would not be surprised to see a startled mouse drop the nibble of cheese he is holding in his paws and run away in fear. The Common Tamrielic Mouse does not interest me; and neither should it you; so I have compiled a concise list of the lesser-known animals of the Starry Heart, and hope it will enlighten you to a greater future. - Quintillius Trebates

Archon Ebony Coypu

The Archon Ebony Coypu, as the name would suggest, live on the eastern coast of Black Marsh near the settlement of Archon. These rodents are among the largest found in Tamriel; only second to the Greater Beavers of Alcaire.

These animals resemble beavers; but instead of having a flat tail, they have a very long pink tail much like a rat, the longest on record being two metres long, where the usual length would be roughly half that. Males have an average weight of forty pounds, with females weighing at a much lesser average weight of only twenty five pounds. The length of these rodents sway in the same direction as the weight of them; with the males being on average of one and a half metres from head to rump to the female's metre-long length.

The males have large dark red incisors which, apart being used when chewing through thick bark and crunching through the hard shells of insects that live in the swamp, are used to win the affections of the female during mating seasons. The more vibrant the colour of the teeth, the more likely the female will be willing to mate. Archon Ebony Coypus can breed at an alarming rate, with a usual litter numbering up to eight pups or more, which on various occasions have became so overwhelming, culls have had to be enforced. (refer to An Abundance of Coypus: Blessing or Curse for further information).

What sets the Archon Ebony Coypu apart from the other variants of Coypu in Black Marsh is it's dark 'ebony' fur and their succulent meat. The lizard-men of the province have learnt to breed these rodents over many generations and have begun selling the valuable furs via the East Empire Company, where they can be used for clothing fit for a noble or be made into covers to keep you warm on a cold night in Evening Star, amongst other purposes.

Emperor Tiber I, praise his name now and forever more, was known for his love for all things ebony, and the Archon Ebony Coypus were no exception. Although his collection was tragically short-lived due to an illness that ravaged the rodent's populous, it was said to be the greatest number of Coypu's ever to grace Nu Cyrod since the time of Saint Alessia.