The Milari (sometimes "Ghost Hunter") is a large feline animal 1.5 to 2.5 peds in length. The Milari has powerful jaws equipped with well developed, 8 cm long daggerlike canines. It also has shearing cheek teeth used for slicing through meat. The Milari have short powerful legs that end in large padded paws. These paws also have long, sharp, fully retractable claws used for grasping prey. Many fantastic tales have sprung up about the Milari but the most enduring, the name "Ghost Hunter". This is mainly due to the fact the animal is very elusive, hard to track and hard to kill.

Image description: The Milari or Ghost Hunter, a large, very elusive feline animal, hard to track and kill. Pic drawn by Talia.

Appearance. The Milari is a large feline animal 1.5 to 2.5 peds in length. Its tail is another 85 cm and rounded that usually ends in a black colored tip. It has a massive, muscular body that is flexible and very agile. It has a large rounded, shortened head with large eyes that look forward. These eyes are usually green and sometimes glow at night from reflected light. It has short rounded flexible ears it can rotate forwards or backwards and even lay flat against the back of the skull when threatened. The Milari has powerful jaws equipped with well developed, 8 cm long daggerlike canines. It also has shearing cheek teeth used for slicing through meat. The Milari have short powerful legs that end in large padded paws. These paws also have long, sharp, fully retractable claws used for grasping prey. The body is covered in a fur ranging in color from light tawny brown to light gray. Their chest and belly are white. Males and females look the same except the male has more prominent and longer cheek whiskers. The Milari have a call that starts out as a low rumble and ends in a high shriek.

Special Abilities. The Milari are uncanny natural hunters and the saying goes, "You must be careful when hunting the Milari or you may become the hunted". It also has acute senses of smell, hearing and sight, with the sight allowing them to see quite well at night. They climb well, move gracefully over land and are capable of galloping at speed when they must chase prey. Their powerful legs make them capable of leaping over huge ravines.

Territory. The Milari is found almost exclusively on the peninsula of Cha'dómm in the Zirkumire Mountains of western Santharia (province of Xaramon). Although there have been sightings as well in the southern Anghorth Alsae Mountains.

Habitat/Behaviour. A solitary animal, the Milari occupies a defined territory. A male's home range may overlap with the territories of one or more females but never with another male. Normally active in the early morning and evening, the Milari may emerge at any time. It will have several dens in shallow caves, rock crevices or under fallen rocks throughout its territory. It prefers to stalk its prey and then pounce upon it making a swift kill with a bite to the nape of the neck. The Milari will chase prey when it must using its claws to hook into the flesh and bring it down, again killing the prey with a bite to the neck. It will usually eat its meal at the kill site and leave what it hasn't eaten for scavengers, only the female will bring a portion back to the den when it has a young. The Milari seldom stay in one place continually moving around its territory.

Diet. The Milari is a carnivore and will eat anything it can hunt down, from small rodents to sentient beings. Although sentient beings can be eaten it is not a normal food source. Only in times when normal food is scarce and the other is available.

Mating. When the breeding season starts, usually in late winter, the female makes loud coughing type calls that carry many kilometers. This will attract a male who will stay with the female throughout the season chasing off all other males. The female will have 1-3 young in a litter. At six weeks the young can take solid food and at three months will start hunting with her. The young will stay with their mother for a year or more.

Myth/Lore. Many fantastic tales have sprung up about the Milari but the most enduring, the name "Ghost Hunter". This is mainly due to the fact the animal is very elusive, hard to track and hard to kill. Many have gone hunting for the valuable pelts only to return, if they return at all, with out them. Many have said they followed Milari spore only to have it vanish and then hearing its roar off in the distance as if laughing at them. Others say they have gone hunting the Milari and in turn being attacked with one or more hunters being killed before the Milari disappeared again.

Of course there are the wild stories about the Milari. Such as the Milari is really a man that turns into one and that is why it can never be caught. Or that it really is a ghost and only becomes solid to kill to satisfy its taste for blood. It has even been suggested the Milari are magi that have gone insane trying to wield magic and the roars heard are just the screams of these insane.