Grelleax Major
| Grelleax Major | |
|---|---|
| Base Information | |
| Classification | Pouncer |
| Terrain | Jungle, Forest, Rivers |
| Locomotion | Walker (motile) |
| Size | 7m (400kg) oldest females |
| Speed | 20kph |
| Strength | Formidable |
| Social Structure | Solitary |
| Weapons | Jagged Tentacles |
| Armor | Slimy Green Epidermis |
| Source | |
| Homeworld | Shisso/Encha (Fulani 0429) |
| Multi-world | No |
| Canon | No |
| Extinct | Extant |
| Reference | |
| 1 Pouncer 400kg 21/11 none +2D claws A0F0S1 | |
The Grelleax Major is found on Shisso (world) within the Encha Subsector of the Fulani Sector.
Physiology & Ecology[edit]
A dark green creature which can absorb electrostatic discharges from the powerfully dynamic dense atmosphere. It is equipped with organs that function as capacitors. They are very active during heavy rains and thunderstorms. They can deliver painful shocks with their electrically conductive tentacles which help stun food items. The high metallic content of the organism's neural net and serrated teeth enhance its ability to be electrically conductive. When hibernating and sessile it has a limited photosynthetic capability granted by a colonially symbiotically mutualistic microorganism akin to terrestrial bacteria. The epidermis is slimy and slippery to the touch as a result. They have some amphibious capability and prefer high humidity to thrive. Fitted with three six-meter-long food acquisition tentacles each carry an average of 267 serrated teeth like projections. These inflict deep slashing wounds prone to opportunistic infection. Deeply instinctual they are incapable of much deep thinking nor complex neural processing. They are aggressive and use a trio of large, well developed eye stalks capable of clear binocular vision for long range target tracking. These eyes have prismatic photoreceptive retina and polarized lens which function as light intensifiers to assist hunting under extremely low light levels.
Life Cycle & Reproduction[edit]
They are driven to breed and mate. There are two sexes for genetic recombination, and they die once they have reproduced. There are two genders: male (buck) and female (does). A packet of reproductive cells are transferred to a ventral receptacle for internal fertilization. Sticky egg masses are laid in damp, moist nests of decaying vegetation near water. Hundreds of hatchlings spend a few years in water as grazers. The survivors eventually emerge and undergo a metamorphism at a mass of 20kg. They reach sexual maturity at 10 years of age at a mass of 100kg. They live solitary lives and males begin to wander at age 16 when they mass about 200kg. Gravid females eat the males after breeding and then hibernate for a few years while the eggs develop internally. The "sleeping" females are sustained by the photosynthetic microbes which cover their skin membranes. When the heavy rains arrive and the wet season is well underway the encysted females emerge in a very aggressive and territorial phase and are quite dangerous. Just prior to the onset of the dry season she looks for an isolated pool or pond at a 400kg body mass. After constructing her nest and laying her eggs she succumbs from her efforts and exhaustion.
Diet & Trophics[edit]
Immature are referred to as Grelleax Minor, and are small aquatic grazers which spend much of their time consuming aquatic photosynthetic producers and trying to avoid predators, they have fins and a swimming tail. After emerging on land from the metamorphosis they have transformed into a three tentacled pouncer which typically launches ambush strikes from vegetative camouflage. The tentacles thicken and grow in strength as they age and mature. They are poikilothermic, carnivorous heterotrophic consumers. They absorb atmospheric gases through their damp dermal membranes. They are partially dependent on their symbiotic photosynthetic microbes which populate their nutrient dense epidermis and the microbes protect this species immunologically from pathogens.
History & Background[edit]
Their blue copper based hemolymph renders them inedible. Their flesh is tough, dense and muscular but contaminated with cytotoxic levels of metallic ions which would induce profound neuropathy in most sophonts.
Travellers' Aid Society Advisory[edit]
The Travellers' Aid Society (TAS) would probably classify the Grelleax Major as very dangerous if they were aware of its existence.
References & Contributors / Sources[edit]
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- Author: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect Ronald B. Kline, Jr. of the Imperial Navy