Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-26397825-20150713052232/@comment-24891101-20150726045458

So what, did this thread just run out of steam or something? I had thought better of our creativity. In any case, let's get the ball rolling again. Try this one on for size.

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Animal Basis: Monitor lizard

Grimm Title:  Waral

Threat Level: Moderate-severe

Appearance:

A large, lizard-like Grimm, ranging from 5m to 30m in length, with a head carried up to 3m off the ground, weighing .5-4t. A neck up to 2m in length can stretch to double its length, and is covered in small eyes and thermal pits. At the base of the skull, a small collapsible boney frill conceals a ring of somewhat larger eyes, allowing it vision in all directions. A long, up to 3m tongue is pale yellow, forking triply, each of which further forks. Its otherwise low-slung body is propelled by powerful legs, capable of briefly reaching speeds of 30 kph. Its long tail begins to taper significantly about halfway out, and can reach significant speed, capable of imparting massive force upon impact.

Behaviour:

Equally at home in rivers or on land, the Waral is a stalker and ambush predator. To hunt its prey, it stands erect upon its hind legs often for hours, extending its neck, giving it a 360 degree view from up to 18m up, complementing its eyes with a powerful Jacobson's organ. Capable of smelling and hunting prey from 60km away, the Waral also possesses an uncanny ability to detect Hunters, and seems to preferential targets them, even when the data is normalized. Once it has a target, it will begin its approach, stopping occasionally to take more bearings. Upon closing to within 150m, it will rush its prey and attack. It is also capable of burrowing, often staying inert underground, or digging a series of "foxholes" of varying depths, from which it observes its domain, as well as digging trenches in which to lay its body for ambushes. Should an initial assault fail, they often withdraw from immediate engagement, remaining less than a kilometer away, allowing their venom to take effect. They are known for habitually eating their prey, even animals, though will often let decay processes begin before eating, and in the case of humans, will remain in the hopes of luring more in. They are canny hunters, stalking humans for days on end, and should a Hunter escape and reengage later, individual specimens (to the degree they can be distinguished) seem to have a surprisingly high degree of recognition.

Attack(s): Powerful jaws, claws, whip-like tail, necrotizing venom

Armouring(s): In addition to a large osteoderm upon both upper and lower jaw and the aforementioned small frill, the front claws are encased in somewhat shovel-like osteoderms. The remainder of the beast is covered in small, non-overlapping scutes, providing a great deal of protection, though fewer on the neck and none at all on most of the tail.

Strength(s): Intelligent, ambush predator, surprisingly fast over short distances, excellent senses (save hearing), amphibious, limited ability to climb sufficiently large trees.

Weakness(es): Poor hearing, vulnerable neck, tail, inability to turn around quickly means they can be outmaneuvered.

Variants: Both smaller arboreal and more aquatic variant exist.

Additional Notes: While the Waral is a solitary Grimm, it may have some ability to communicate the locations of humans to other species, as both aerial observation and AARs often report streams of other Grimm varieties following in the wake of a Waral attack, all from roughly the same direction, in the following hours after one is slain. Thus the true danger of the Waral is not in itself, but what might follow in its wake.