The Fireback Mastodon (Na'vi name: Txeptxal) is a creature appearing in Avatar: Reckoning and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
They are bonded to the Anurai clan.
Anatomy[]
The fireback mastodon is one of the largest land animals discovered on Pandora thus far, with adult males frequently exceeding the size and weight of zakru and various subspecies of goliath.
Possessing typical hexapod physiology and heavy musculature; the mastodon has a thick, patterned hide which ossifies into armored scales at the thighs and flank. Strikingly, the mastodon displays a sharp, brightly colored bone ridge that protrudes from the front of the skull, commencing at a crest which continues down the animal's spine, terminating at the tail.
The head of the mastodon is reminiscent of Terran Loxodonta. Its curved and serrated tusks are primarily used to strip bark from trees, which along with fruit forms the bulk of the mastodon's diet.
Fireback Mastodon entry[]
When the fireback mastodon feels its time is coming to an end, it goes into the Anurai valley along the paths of its ancestors until it finds a sacred place of red soil to die. The Anurai escort the mighty beasts to Eywa, after which they use their bones for carving. Previously, Anurai used their artifact to call old mastodons to the valley, but since it was lost, the welcoming ceremony was not held, and mastodons were seen less and less in the valley.
Frontiers of Pandora[]
From the Ashes[]
A male fireback mastodon was captured by the RDA to be experimented on before it was freed by So'lek and Teylan.
Trivia[]
- Their filename in Reckoning is Pachyderm, which refers to a very large mammal with thick skin, such as elephants.
- A creature in its likeness appears on an Anurai artifact in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — So'lek's Journey.
Gallery[]
