Grakain

Fast Facts

Height: 6' to 6'7"

Weight: 2200 to 3000 lbs

Length: 9' to 10'6"

Diet: Carnivorous; they hunt large to medium sized herbivores

Rarity: Uncommon; solitary but social animals scattered throughout the Imperial Badlands.

Tier: Tier 3. Dangerous predators, can be tamed to use as mounts and reliable water sources.

Appearance and Biology

Anyone who has ever travelled the Imperial Badlands for some time has spotted at least a single Grakain in the distance; they usually roam the land undisturbed, looking for food and water sources. Even more common is to see someone using a Grakain as a personal mount. Whatever the case, the unusual anatomy of these animals is impressive. As a general description, Grakain are distinctively large canine-like primitive mammals, notably muscular and covered in extremely short hair that makes them look rather leathery. They have reptilian square snouts and heads dominated by a large crest that extends to their nape. Of course, their most striking feature is their neck: a system of large muscles, vessels and amazing transparent water sacs that protrude like bubbles out of their skin. Their muscular bodies end in a very short tail, almost looking like a stub. Their strange biology is a direct response to the harsh conditions in the Imperial Badlands, where they remain one of the most successful species.

One can't properly describe the Grakain without describing their water storage system, also called purifying sacs, located in their necks. Foreseeably, their primary function is purifying and storing water: water sources in their habitat are scarce and usually polluted, and thus unsafe to drink by most species. The Grakain are able to overcome this issue by cleaning that water with these organs. The process is fairly simple. Grakain drink water from any sources they're able to find, no matter its purity; this water enters their esophagus and remains there, blocked by a sphincter. The esophagus is expanded in this species, forming a specialized chamber that mostly expands alongside their lower necks. It's connected to the purifying sacs via specialized biological membranes; when the animal is done drinking, the esophagus slowly constricts and fills the sacs with purified water that their organism can use. To fill the sacs, the membranes only allow water and essential minerals cross it via by using reverse osmosis. The remaining waste then crosses into the stomach, where it is quickly neutralized by specialized gastric juices to avoid poisoning, then excreted with food waste. Specialized vessels transfer this clean water directly and to the brain and salivary glands, and the sacs are connected to their bloodstream internally.

However, this doesn't explain why these sacs are transparent, showing the amount of water they store. The true reason behind this is the cold nights of the Imperial Badlands, paradoxically. A transparent, yet durable and flexible barrier forms each sac. During the day, these water containers are directly heated by sunlight, which can heat all water evenly and effectively thanks to that clear casing. Water's naturally high specific heat capacity (roughly the amount of heat it can store) allows the Grakain to survive the cold nights of the Imperial Badlands thanks to the large amounts of heat stored within their water storage, which is transferred to their whole body through their blood vessels. This way, they don't need to burn nutrients to keep their body heat up, which greatly reduces the amount of food they would have to consume. In fact, this is so important that the Grakain only urinate a few hours before sunset, to reduce heat loss during the night.

Grakain are large carnivores. They hunt alone, and due to their natural heating system they have smaller feeding requirements, but they still eat decent amounts of meat. However, their dentition is composed by short, sharp incisors and carnassials that makes it harder for them to lock prey in place or rip flesh after a strong bite. The answer to this is their large crest, composed by living bone and dark keratin. As it grows, Grakain rub these crests against hard rocks instinctively to sand their edges and actually sharpen it, turning them into lethal weapons. Grakain are known for aggressively charging against preys or foes and then slashing to the side, causing deep wounds if the blade sinks enough. Then, they bite and remove small chunks of torn flesh to eat while their victim is still shocked and knocked down; they usually die because of the blood loss in the case of larger victims, resulting in a prolonged agony if the crest cut wasn't clean or accurate enough. Their claws, though sharp, are usually used to grab large prey, ensure traction when running, or defend themselves from a possible, larger threat.

As previously mentioned, Grakain are lone roamers that walk through their habitat in search of new water sources or prey. Their powerful muscular constitution is specialized in running; though they usually travel with a soft trot, these animals can reach speeds of up to 45 mph when pursuing prey, slightly less when mounted. While their eyesight is average, Grakain have a keen sense of smell, allowing them to track down prey far into the desert. They hearing is average as well; however, their crest doubles as a resonance system, vibrations allowing them to detect turbulence in the air from far away. They run away from dust storms, since the corruption they bring is usually deadly to them, poisoning their water storage and killing them in minutes.

Habitat

The Grakain inhabit the Daravinic Imperial Badlands, their adaptations allowing them to survive in the arid terrain, where water sources are scarce, dirty and polluted. They thrive in flat terrains and move across vast territories to find puddles or streams of water they can drink from.

Temperament

They are aggressive and warn strangers several times before attacking; they don't shy away from direct comfrontation if necessary. When meeting other members of their species, they will either choose to avoid them or collaborate; the mechanisms behind this choice are unknown, but it's theorized collaboration comes when one or both is in immediate need of food. However, when properly tamed, they grow to be quite loving and protective of their riders, sometimes approaching them to show and ask for affection.

Life Cycle

Female Grakain go into heat once every eight weeks, giving off a characteristic scent; if a female accepts the male approaching her, copulation will ensue, gestation lasting a season and a half. Litters consist of two to four cubs that stay close to their mother, who breastfeeds them until they become old enough to begin to eat meat their mother hunts for them. This happens around the 60th day after they're born; males usually take no part in the cubs rearing, though it might offer meat from time to time when encountered. When they get to the age of 3, the cubs are independent and they move away to begin their lives as adults. Should the mother die, if the cubs are old enough to feed on meat, they can be adopted by a solitary Grakain that encounters them, who will raise them and hunt for them until they're old enough.

Grakain have a lifespan of around 35 years; however, physical decline starts almost 7 years earlier and many older individuals die once they are no longer able to run away from Daravin's dust storms.

Uses

Grakain are very popular as mounts in the Badlands because of their stamina and survivability. They're also a water source; they can be hunted for the water in their purity sacs, they can be opened up to drink (sewn afterwards with Necromancy if wanted) and a particular surgical procedure can be used by skilled necromancers to actually install a tap on one of the sacs to access water without damaging the animal. They can be used for combat, as mounts or as companions, and they'll fiercely defend an owner they're loyal to.