Grleth

Grleth
Physical Characteristics
Average Height	2.7 - 3.2 m
Average Weight	200 kg
Regions
Commonly Found In	Enhpune United Oprax Tribes Urushee

The Grleth are a species of massive, hulking lizard-like beasts, known as the apex predators of Erra's western continent. They are characterised by their prodigious size, 4 arms, long claws, and muscle mass. Following The Collapse, there have been reports of some Grleth attaining sapience, and the treatment of these individuals remains a controversial topic.

Evolution

The precise origins of the Grleth are unknown, but their existence has been documented many centuries back - Even as far as the first few decades of recorded time on Erra, such as basic documents dating from year 73. At first they were known as simply being dominant, destructive forces of nature, with civilizations often having difficulty effectively defending themselves from Grleth hunting parties. Much of the legends of early defense from Grleth involved that of encroachment on the territory of Dragons that would dispose of them, either to protect their realm or nearby settlements.

As the concepts of Magic started to form among civilisation, individual settlements were able to protect themselves better from the threat of the Grleth, with skilled Magi able to single handedly dispatch of one of the creatures if they were to pose a threat. However, this would display an alarming trait of the Grleth species - A remarkably accelerated process of evolution and adaptation. First recorded in 412, Grleth had begun to display considerable resistance to many of the common Magical elements that would previously ward them off, once again becoming a dominant hunter species that required highly organised efforts to take down. These evolutionary traits would display themselves many times throughout history; For example, developing much stronger and harder scales to combat ballistic weaponry with the invention of gunpowder.

Post-Collapse & Sapience

The Grleth were one of the most significant predator species of the Erran ecosystem to be relatively unaffected by the advent of The Collapse. Indeed, contrary to many their position in the food chain was actually bolstered - With the complete lack of Magic to oppose them, and many civilisations falling to ruin, it became significantly harder for the scattered survivors to defend themselves from Grleth attacks, resulting in a significant increase in species population - Particularly in Urushee and Enphune.

In the centuries that followed, there have also been rumours of Grleth evolving once again to have significantly higher levels of intelligence. Why exactly this adaptation occurred Post-Collapse is unknown, but it is additionally believed there may be members of the species that have achieved sapience and grown beyond their original nature. I have yet to meet one such creature myself, and reports on their existence are unverified at best. Theoretically, a Grleth could disguise itself with a large cloak or other obscuring clothing, and pass them off at a glance as any number of pre-existing large races or Monster Species that have joined settlements.

Biology

Grleth have a distinct silhouette, standing on two legs with a hunched over back and large, thick neck that smoothly transitions between its body and head. A Grleth has two large, Minotaur-like horns that curve upwards, and large protruding teeth. The species possesses 4 long, bulky arms, each having sturdy claws that measure at about 30cm in length, which while not especially sharp on their own are pointed and strong enough to impale victims.

Additionally, a Grleth can be characterised by an exceptionally high level of muscle mass, easily overpowering every other bipedal species - A large portion of its average recorded weight comes from this muscle density. The exterior of a Grleth comprises of rough, thick scales that are easily capable of shrugging off smaller attacks with relative ease.

Attributes

Grleth are fast, strong, and deceptively agile for their size. As mentioned, they can easily overpower other creatures, with a single Grleth capable of besting wild Bears head to head with relative ease in sheer strength. Their abundance of limbs allows them to manipulate this strength effectively, with a common attacking tactic of a Grleth being to forcibly restrain their prey with their upper two arms and attack with the claws of their lower set.

As a result, attempting to fight a Grleth in a contest of strength is severely ill-advised - Even if one was able to theoretically contest with their might, the extra limbs will still grant them greater leverage and leave their grappler exposed. Additionally, Grleth are able to use their strength and weight to perform vicious charges, able to potentially trample a victim outright and incapacitate them.

In the event that a Grleth's attacks are able to be effectively warded off via force, their agility will serve as a backup plan. Grleth are able to use their low centre of mass to quickly adjust their movement trajectory, with a signature ability being to kick the ground infront of them to halt their charge. The limbs of a Grleth are capable of moving as fast as a trained humanoid martial artist, meaning any weakness or exposed areas are often fatal in a matter of seconds. The species is also very limber, capable of scaling trees, cliffs and other such terrain with relative ease.

Due to the adaptive nature of a Grleth, it is often accepted that superior force is the most effective way to to defend oneself from a Grleth. They are able to shrug off both physical elements and those attributed to Magic (such as Electricity and Psychic attacks) with ease. While they have a theoretical weakness to Poison, the method of actually delivering a dosage powerful enough to dispose of a Grleth is far more difficult due to the toughness of their scaled hides.

In terms of senses, a Grleth is known for their acute senses of perception, capable of tracking creatures through hearing and smell at distances similar to those of hunting dogs and wolves. Parties of hunters seeking out Grleth have reported being pursued for distances of several miles by a Grleth. Stalking behaviour like this is rare, as the species is not particularly known for being capable of stealth, and usually indicates that the pack is threatened.

Ecology and Behaviour

Grleth are somewhat limited in population numbers due to their Ecology. While Grleth are a communal species, often living in moderately sized packs, they have significantly larger needs in terms of sustenance than most other predator species.

Social Behaviour

Grleth live in packs of 10-20 individuals, either sharing a particular area or living alongside each other from birth to death. These packs are ruled with a relationship similar to Alpha behaviours noted among other species such as Wolves, with male members of the species acting as the hunters and gatherers of the groups, while female Grleth maintain their focus on guarding the young and their domain alongside the pack's Alpha. Because of their vital role in protecting their pack from external threats and hunters, a female Grleth is often significantly stronger than the males.

Despite the pack relying on an Alpha relationship, Grleth have been known to show great care for other members of their species, particularly those in their family, protecting their wounded and even being known to retreat from a hunt to preserve the lives of others.

Hunting & Diet

Grleth usually perform hunting excursions individually, spreading out their grounds from the primary home of the pack, but have also been known to perform these actions in pairs and trios if the group feels threatened - Such as if multiple members of their pack are injured, missing, or they have observed stalking behaviour of other creatures.

Grleth require significant amounts of sustenance to sustain their selves, due to their large size and intense muscle mass, which is a primary contributing factor to their limited population. A Grleth typically needs to consume three times as much as the average humanoid, and as a result they primarily hunt larger creatures if possible.

Grleth attacks have been known to wipe out entire dens of lesser predators, but their hunting patterns are perhaps most well known for their propensity to target isolated humanoids. If a Grleth pack is particularly struggling to provide, they have also been recorded to co-ordinate attacks on larger settlements. These behaviours along with the incredible physical attributes of the species contribute to placing the Grleth at the very top of the food chain.

In culture

Grleth are highly feared in many Erran cultures due to their reputations of being vicious, fierce hunters. Many Pre-Collapse settlements often had their own protocols and defensive measures to protect from Grleth attacks, and the presence of the creatures have frequently been observed in folk lore, poetry, and stories due to the threat they might pose. One such example is the novella Irrepressible, during which a Dwarf is the sole survivor of a hunting band that were brutally eviscerated by a sole Grleth, with the protaganist only felling the beast at the cost of his allies. The story then details his desperate struggle for survival, having to contend with being stalked by another member of the Grleth pack that had picked up his trail upon discovering the carcass of its brethren.

Unfortunately, theoretical sapient members of the Grleth species are also likely to face similar hostility and fear due to this reputation of their kind. This may be the main contributing factor as to why reports of sapient Grleth are unverified, as the concept of one attempting to live among civilisations that could expect to be preyed upon by other Grleth would lead to rampant paranoia and discomfort.

The presence of the Grleth is also attributed to how some larger settlements came to be, due to the necessity of vastly outnumbering the predators for thep urposes of safety. Perhaps more interesting, however, is the reoccurring tale of settlements aligning themselves with dragons of either friendly or otherwise neutral dispositions for the purposes of protection. Dragons were naturally above all other creatures in Erra and could effectively deal with a Grleth threat, resulting in these alliances, either out of a symbiotic relationship where the protected race would provide for the Dragon, or because of a social bond that had been formed between the two where there was an emotional investment in protecting the settlement.

An interesting rumour that I have seen referenced a number of times is that the meat of a Grleth is an exceptionally exotic delicacy. Naturally, the amount of individuals that can lay claim to having sampled this food are few due to the danger hunting down a member of the species would pose - But, in particular, it is said that Grleth meat was a favourite of Dragons, though perfectly consumable by regular species as well.