Moritere
Moriteres are feared throughout Malakath by most all races for their hideous, nightmare-inducing appearance and the deadly strength, speed, and senses they have to fulfill those nightmares. They look like a long-lost cousin of wyverns, minus the wings, and boast a ferocity not seen or known anywhere else on the continent.
Standing on two strong and sturdy limbs with multiple joints, the moritere is quite capable of moving across all manner of terrain at speed. Dexterous, clawed feet allow them to grip stone and tree alike. Their bodies are long and serpent-like, with prehensile tails and large, spade-shaped skulls marked by exceptionally durable white chitin armor. Their hides are scaled, akin to a dragon, and grow thicker and tougher as they age. Their mouths are lined by multiple rows of massive, serrated fangs, capable of crunching through wood and metal alike with little to no effort.
Moriteres are reptiles and hatch from egg clutches that are buried deep underground in cavernous tunnels built by viable males. Females seek out these tunnels via pheromones' on the air to find a mate and lay between 1-5 eggs the size of a human hutt. After the eggs have hatched the mother moritere moves on to find another male while her clutch grows under the care of the father. At birth, moritere hatchlings are the size of a large horse and capable of killing and eating fresh meat immediately. They learn to hunt from their father and travel in their familial pack across the broad expanse of his territory. As their experience grows so does their intelligence. While moriteres could never be said to be fully sapient creatures, their keen intellect is notable. The older, larger, venerable elder moriteres are truly a force to be reckoned with.
The family pack will stay together within the father's domain for approximately ten years before he kicks them out to find their own territory. At this time they are all the size of elephants. Females tend to leave first as their reproductive cycles begin. Males will often head out with their brothers and stick together for a time, but competition for female mates will usually drive them apart eventually. Rarely will multiple males stick together.
At around 20 years of age their growth slows but never fully stops. A moritere will continue to grow for the duration of its lifespan; its hide will become thicker and more hardy, its size ever greater, its strength more unwieldly, and its intelligence frightfully keener. Moritere are considered "elders" after they have surpassed 50 years of age.
Elder moritere are rare but they do exist.
Moritere are diurnal creatures and are active only during the daylight hours. They spend most of their day hunting and scavenging, as well as patrolling their territories. At night, male moritere return to their underground tunnels to sleep. Roving, unmated females and unproven males (those without their own territory) will typically create more shallow, temporary burrows for the evenings, and have even been known to use other abandoned female burrows if they happen upon them. These burrows have become quintessential to the local ecosystem and provide other fauna and flora valuable places to hide, live, and grow.
Attributes:
- (2) Multi-jointed legs that enable...
- locomotion over many types of terrain
- digging and burrowing beneath the ground
- climbing of trees and steep grades
- Long, prehensile tails that help with balance and manipulation of objects, including the coiling of prey
- High intelligence and above-average memory span
- Enhanced senses of sight and smell
- Multiple rows of long, serrated fangs
- Invulnerable to noxious fumes or toxins
Weaknesses:
- Loud noises (high-pitched screeches, explosions, metal banging or scraping against metal)
- Cold (reptiles cannot create their own body heat, moritere rely on sunlight and environment for warmth)
- Poor night vision (moritere are diurnal)
- Cannot swim
- High metabolism requires regular feeding (will become lethargic and slow if they have not fed in a few days)
- Blind spot directly below/under belly
Interesting & Useful information:
- Elder moritere urine is potent enough to keep just about everything else away, including other moritere. If collected, it can be used as an easy ward around campsites. It does, however, smell quite rank and will not ward off the moritere that produced it
- Moritere skull chitin is one of the hardest, naturally occurring materials on Arethil
- If you must travel through known moritere land, travel at night - 75% survival rate (not accounting for other creatures that could eat you)