Animals are a living part of the world in Thveit. The wilderness surrounding your settlement is not empty - it is inhabited by creatures that have their own routines, behaviours, and relationship to the land. How your settlement chooses to live alongside them, hunt them, or protect them is part of what shapes the identity of your world.
Animals fall into three broad categories: wildlife, which exist in the world independently of the player, livestock, which are managed as part of the settlement’s farming systems, and settlement companions, which live freely within the settlement itself and are part of daily life.
Wildlife
Deer & Bucks
Status: In Game
Deer and bucks are among the most visible and characterful animals in Thveit. They roam the forests and open land surrounding the settlement with a full set of daily behaviours - grazing, walking, running, sleeping, and gathering in herds at dusk.
They are not aggressive. They are not simply decorative. They are living inhabitants of the world with their own rhythm.
Behaviours
- Wander forests and open terrain throughout the day
- Graze in clearings and near water
- Flee from settlers who approach too closely
- Sleep in herds at night, nestled together in sheltered spots
- React to noise, activity, and seasonal changes
The sight of a herd of deer sleeping at the edge of a forest during a snowfall is one of the defining atmospheric moments Thveit is built around.
Prince of the Forest
Deer and bucks carry a special designation in Thveit: Prince of the Forest.
A settlement that chooses not to hunt deer - that respects and preserves them as part of the natural world - earns passive buffs tied to this status. The longer deer are left undisturbed near your settlement, the stronger the connection to the land becomes.
Possible buffs from the Prince of the Forest status:
- Improved foraging yields from nearby nature structures
- Increased settler morale and comfort from a peaceful natural environment
- Stronger connection to nature-aligned faith events
- Potential interaction with folklore systems tied to sacred animals
This system rewards players who build their settlement around the idea of coexistence rather than exploitation.
Hunting
Deer can also be hunted for resources - primarily raw meat. This is a valid playstyle, but it comes at the cost of losing the Prince of the Forest status and its associated buffs.
Players must decide what their settlement values: the bounty of the hunt, or the quiet reward of leaving the forest undisturbed.
Future - Deer Enclosures
A planned future system would allow players to build deer enclosures - dedicated spaces within or near the settlement where deer are kept safe, sheltered, and cared for. This would allow players who have chosen the preservation path to bring deer closer to settlement life while maintaining the spirit of the Prince of the Forest identity.
Rabbits & Hares
Status: To Be Added
Rabbits and hares are smaller wildlife intended to add life and detail to the fields, forest edges, and open terrain of the world.
Like deer, they will have their own simple behaviours - foraging, hopping, fleeing from settlers and larger animals.
They can be hunted for raw meat and small resources, making them a lighter early-game hunting option before larger prey becomes viable.
Bears
Status: To Be Added
Bears are the most powerful and dangerous wild animal in Thveit. They are not hostile by default - they live in the wilderness, follow their own patterns, and generally avoid the settlement. But they are unpredictable, and they are dangerous.
Danger
A bear that wanders near an unprotected settlement can injure or kill settlers. Settlers who stray into the wilderness - particularly foragers, scouts, or explorers on foot - risk encountering bears in the forest and may be mauled if caught off guard.
Walls are one of the primary defenses against bear encounters near the settlement. Keeping settlers within safe boundaries during events, at night, or in heavily forested areas reduces the risk significantly.
Hunting
Bears can be hunted for resources including raw meat, fur, and other materials. Hunting a bear is a meaningful challenge - not a casual activity. It requires preparation, equipment, and ideally multiple settlers working together.
Befriending Bears
Bears can also be befriended - slowly, carefully, over time.
The primary method is honey offerings. Leaving honey near the treeline where bears are known to roam may draw them closer without aggression. Over repeated offerings, a bear may begin to tolerate the presence of the settlement.
This system has potential ties to the Faith system - certain gods may look favourably on settlers who live in peace with powerful wild creatures, treating the act of befriending a bear as a form of respect for nature rather than conquest.
A befriended bear is not a tamed pet. It still lives in the wilderness and behaves like a wild animal. But it will no longer threaten settlers who come close, and its presence near the settlement may carry its own atmospheric and mechanical weight.
Livestock
Livestock in Thveit are animals kept and managed as part of the settlement’s farming economy. Unlike wildlife, they are not hunted - they are tended, housed, and cared for as a source of ongoing resources.
Livestock are tied directly to the Farm system and managed through dedicated structures, most notably the Hjordhall - the settlement’s livestock hall.
Sheep
Status: In Game
Sheep are the primary livestock animal currently in Thveit. They graze near farm structures, require shelter and basic care, and produce:
- Wool - used for clothes and warmth-related production
- Milk - used for food and ingredient chains
- Raw Meat - from livestock that are no longer productive
Sheep are a foundational resource animal, particularly important for cold-season preparation when warm clothing and stored food become critical.
Goats
Status: In Game
Goats function similarly to sheep and are managed through the same farming structures. They contribute to:
- Milk - a core food and production ingredient
- Raw Meat - a food resource
- Wool - in smaller quantities
Goats are slightly more hardy than sheep and may be better suited to rougher terrain within the settlement’s farming area.
Settlement Companions
Cats
Status: In Game
Cats are the heart of the settlement.
They are not livestock. They are not wildlife. They live freely within the settlement, wander between homes, and belong to everyone and no one at the same time. A settlement with cats feels warmer, more alive, and more human than one without them.
Cats are tied to Homesteads - they naturally gravitate toward residences, sleeping on doorsteps, curling up by fires, and making homes their own. Their presence directly contributes to settler comfort and morale.
How to Get Cats
Cats can enter your settlement in three ways:
- World start - players can pre-seed cats into their settlement when starting a new world, beginning the game with a small number already living among the settlers
- Settler ships - occasionally, new settlers arriving by ship may bring a cat with them, wandering off the boat and into settlement life
- Traders - cats can be purchased from visiting traders, making them a rare and worthwhile acquisition when the opportunity arises
Behaviours
Cats in Thveit have a full set of daily routines that make them feel genuinely alive within the settlement:
- Sleep - curled up on doorsteps, inside homes, on rooftops, near fires
- Eat - visiting food sources and settling areas
- Play - chasing things, batting at objects, exploring with curiosity
- Run - sudden bursts of energy for no apparent reason
- Sit - watching the world with complete indifference
- Idle - grooming, stretching, simply existing
- Climb - scaling structures, fences, walls, and rooftops
Settler Interactions
Settlers interact with cats naturally as part of daily life:
- Petting - settlers may stop to pet a cat they pass, giving both the settler and the cat a small moment of warmth
- Carrying - settlers can pick up and carry cats around the settlement
These small interactions are not mechanical systems - they are the kind of moment that makes a settlement feel inhabited rather than simulated.
Freya & the Cat Sanctuary
Cats carry a deeper significance in Thveit through their connection to Freya, the goddess of love, beauty, and magic. Freya’s chariot is pulled by two great cats, and in Norse tradition, cats were sacred to her.
A settlement with many cats - one that actively welcomes, cares for, and builds around them - earns greater favour with Freya over time.
Planned systems tied to this connection include:
- Cat Sanctuary - a dedicated structure built to house, shelter, and celebrate the settlement’s cats. Constructing one signals deep devotion to Freya’s values and provides a meaningful favour boost
- Cat-related decorations - cat beds, feeding spots, climbing structures, and other small builds that enrich the lives of the settlement’s cats and deepen the Freya connection
- Favour scaling - the more cats in the settlement and the better they are cared for, the higher the passive Freya favour gained over time
Players who pursue this path build settlements that feel genuinely cat-shaped - homes designed around small creatures that have, quietly and completely, taken over.
Coexistence as a Design Principle
Thveit does not treat animals as simple resources to be extracted. The wildlife systems are designed around a core tension: the choice between use and coexistence.
- Hunt deer for meat, or protect them and earn the Prince of the Forest status
- Hunt bears for fur, or leave honey offerings and build a tentative peace
- Build walls to protect settlers from bears, or accept the risk of the open wilderness
- Fill your settlement with cats, build them a sanctuary, and earn the favour of Freya
These decisions shape the character of the settlement and the stories that emerge from it. A settlement that hunts everything it sees tells a different story than one that builds its identity around living alongside the natural world - and a settlement full of cats tells a story all of its own.