Iniki

The iniki is a small gazelle common to the Great Hazari Desert and its fringes. A still smaller type is known to live in the region around the Desert of Fallen Stars. It can be found well into the desert interior, where it is capable of surviving on sparse vegetation and very limited water. It prefers to reside in areas where rocky crags break the desert floor, which it uses for shelter and a vantage to watch for predators.

The iniki often follows dry wadis through the desert, taking advantage of the water hidden belowground which nevertheless supports the growth of limited plant life. It can eat bitter plants avoided by other animals and drink somewhat alkiline water without sickening, and it uses its small sharp hooves to dig into the sand to reach water where it is not too deep beneath the ground. It is also known to follow the sporadic rains about the desert, and seems almost to have some sixth sense about where rain will fall next, often appearing in an area just before a thunderstorm comes up to drop precious water onto the desert floor. For this reason it is sometimes called the raincaller gazelle, and the name "iniki" itself seems to derive from a Kiliku word for a rainstorm.

The iniki is a small gazelle, typically about the size of a medium to large dog. Its pelt ranges from brighter ruddy colors in wetter regions to pale tans and near-greys in the desert interior. Both the male and the female have dark-colored horns, but the female's are smaller and straighter. Like most gazelles, the iniki is a very swift and graceful creature, capable of very fast sprints and impressive bounds.

Although wild iniki are not uncommon, they are elusive and wary and can be a challenge to hunt. Their skins, however, are prized for the crafting of high-quality inikiskin leather, so the services of skilled iniki hunters are always valued. Despite their skittish nature iniki have been tamed by some Tessouare pastoralists, if not quite not fully domesticated.