How to Care For and Raise a Knator

How to Raise and Care For a Knator
By Joykill

Before I can even begin about taking care of and raising a Knator, one must first understand a Knator, how they live and what their origins are. Now to start, I believe it is common knowledge that Knators have their home in the wide forests of Loreroot; however, less commonly known is that once they were human, like we all are. They were a tribe of forest people. Some people would call them shy, simple-minded perhaps, but their most noticeable feature was the fierceness they showed when defending their territory. Now, surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, these features are still very common to Knators. A person that does not know where to look will have a very hard time spotting a Knator; they aren’t creatures that simply walk into the open and draw attention to themselves. On the other hand, one step too far into their territory and you will very likely be aware of them, and more importantly, of their fangs, claws, and blades trying to stop you from intruding farther into their lands.

Now people might wonder, how did this tribe of forest people turn into the Knators we now see in the woods?  The answer is simple, yet complicated. It is believed that the tribesmen had almost no contact with other humans. The reason for that is unknown. One could say it got erased by the sands of time. Whether the tribe avoided other or they just killed any intruders to conserve their safety is a big mystery. Fact is that, year after year, that tribe became more savage. They forgot how to read and write and forgot about their history. Not only that, they started to look different as well. Evolution sure takes strange paths, and when the centuries went by, the tribe changed. There is no better word that suits what happened. They grew fangs, fur, and claws, and took the appearance of Knators as we see them now. Although they have changed, they still conserved some of their old habits, as often you’ll the older Knators wielding blades just as their human ancestors used to do.

Enough history, time to get a bit more to business and talk about how Knators live now. They still have a tribal society in which only one can be the leader: he is called the Warmaster, and you can recognize him by the huge blade he has is holding. Also they fight for the right of leadership. There is only one problem: the challenger only has his claws as weapons, while Warmaster, as leader, is holding that gigantic blade. In theory, a Knator that beats the leader, becomes leader, but in reality, due to the huge advantage of the blade, it’s very common for a Warmaster to stay leader until he is too old to use the blade efficiently enough to beat his challenger.

I realize I have not spoken at all on how one should take care of and raise a Knator.  The reason for that is I don’t believe they should be held in captivity and raised by anyone else than their fellow Knators. If, for any reason, one wants to hold a Knator and wants to try to raise it, here is a bit of advise: try to comfort him in any way possible. One way to do this is by holding him in a large cage, with a lot of trees, bushes, and plants so it resembles a forest. Let him sit there for a few days without any contact between you and him, so he can get used to his new environment. Then, after a few days, try to go near him. Don’t try to touch him, yet. Just go as close as you can before he runs away from you and sit there. This is to let him get used to you. Remember, Knators are fierce when it comes to defending their territory. Do that for a few days and keep in mind that it’s better to wait a day too long than to loose a finger or two from trying to touch him to soon.

Patience is really key here, and you’ll see that it will pay off. A good indicator that your young Knator is ready for the next step–personal contact–is that he will come to you. His curiosity will replace the fear of you. If he does that, do not look aggressive in any way and try not to make any sudden movements. Try holding out a hand and move it towards his face. Do it slowly, as the slightest indication of aggression will make your Knator become aggressive in response. When your hand is near his face, try scratching the area under his chin, or in the neck; they just love that. When you can do that without problems, give him some food. Knators eat close to anything, but don’t give him rotten meat.

Once you gain the trust of your Knator, you’ll see he will become a very loyal companion. He will protect you from peril and he’ll even hunt for you. Now I’d like to conclude that, once again, I believe Knators are not meant to live in captivity. They should live amongst their fellow Knators, as that’s the only way for them to live in harmony and feel happy.