Creature Creation Challenge #2

[Malkuthe Highwind]

Creature Creation Challenge
This challenge explores one facet of worldbuilding: creature creation, as the title says. Whether or not you're a worldbuilder, at one point or another, you're bound to create different kinds of flora and fauna for your world. This challenge brings two new things to the table: first, all the submissions for this challenge will be put into a "bestiary" of sorts in the Worldbuilder's Guild which will be a resource for yourself and anyone who needs creatures for their worlds; second, every week, there will be a different difficulty for the challenge. ​

The Difficulty Levels

Difficulty 1

- build a creature around a specific theme

Difficulty 2

- build a creature with a specific body part around a specific theme

Difficulty 3

- build a creature to fit a specific role in an ecosystem with a specific body part around a specific theme

Difficulty 4

- build a creature based upon an animal on earth to fit a specific role in an ecosystem with a specific body part around a specific theme

Difficulty 5

- build a creature that will survive in a specific environment based upon an animal on earth and fit a specific role in an ecosystem with a specific body part around a specific theme.

This Week's Difficulty:

- build a creature to fit a specific role in an ecosystem with a specific body part around a specific theme

This Week's Criteria:
Theme: Fire
Body Part: Club-tail
Role: Predator

Feel free to use this following template for your creatures. You can add on to it or remove things from it as you wish or not use it at all.

Creature Template

Name:
Appearance:
Role: Predator/prey/producer
Habitat:
Life-span:
Sentient: Yes/No
Sapient: Yes/No
Means of Sustenance:
Favourite Food Source:
Major Competition:
Mating Rituals: Courtship rituals, mating grounds, mating season, et cetera
Reproduction: you can include period of gestation
Organization: does this creature travel in packs or herds, or is it a solitary creature that only meets with members of its species for the mating season?
Other:

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The Bestiary​

 

[Mid]

Name: The Red Tail
Appearance: If one were to stand at a distance in clothing, you would almost think it were a human save for the long clubbed tail swashing about. These creatures come in various shades of red, yellow, orange, brown, black and greys. Their eyes are almond shaped and can range from black to reds in color. Their noses are mere slits against their face while their mouths hide their many teeth. Some would consider them reptilian if it weren't for the way they birth their young. The females are half the size of the males, their colors change to become bright and attractive when in heat yet all their tails shine a bright red. Those without red tails are often considered outcasts and left to die on their own as babies.

Role: Predator
Habitat: Volcanos
Life-span: Fifty years
Sentient: Yes.
Means of Sustenance: Animals.
Favourite Food Source: Human hearts.
Major Competition: Humans.

Mating Rituals: Once every few years, a maiden's song can be heard. It draws males up the dangerous path and into the opening of the volcano where they watch her sing and move seductively for them. Once her time on stage ends, the female simply smiles as the males proceed to fight each other for a chance with her. If you fall or touch the lava, you are disqualified and left with an ugly burn as a reminder of your failure. Once the last male remains, the female interlocks her tail with his and together they dance beneath the stars.

Reproduction: Unlike males, females are built to withstand temperatures of heat no matter how extreme. Once impregnated, these creatures can be seen diving into the pool of lava where they will stay for a week until they're ready to give birth by the base of the volcano.
Organization: These creatures have been known to travel in packs, almost like a tribe in their own way.

Other: The Red Tails are older than the human race, making some to believe if these were creatures of the first creations of God. There are many stories of these creatures from fallen stars of heaven to the wrath of the Gods burning the world yet no one can be sure as these beings do not speak any known language.

 

[Philosophia]

Name: Earthlurk
Appearance: An Earthlurk at first appearance seems to be nothing more than a medium boulder that comes roughly two feet high. It lies in wait for unsuspecting creatures to wander too close, within a five foot radius. When catching prey the boulder seems to sprout six legs. The hind and middle sets appear like that of a turtle whereas the front have thick, retractable, curved talons such as that of a raptor. The talons when retracted are sheath by long, four fingered hands. A large head like that of a snapping turtle with a serrated beak and a scalp littered with short, fat spikes. A long bludgeoning tail like that of a scorpion, adorned with the same short, fat spikes. The center mass a protective shell of stone, segmented into circular plates for flexibility. White hot flames escape between the shells plates from it's core. It lashes out and sinks its talons into it's prey, holding it still with it's brutish strength as its tail strikes down from overhead repeatedly. Once it has killed it's catch, it eats it entirely by biting down and shaking it's head like a shark, its serrated beak tearing through flesh and bone. Bite by bite until nothing remains.
Role: Predator.
Habitat: Earthlurks live on the lee side of mountainsides that do not see much rain and the environment is best suited to their camouflage.
Life-span: Due to their method of reprocution, their life span is indeterminable.
Sentient: No
Sapient: No
Means of Sustenance: All forms of living creatures.
Favorite Food Source: Billy goats, Mountain Lions, Humans.
Major Competition: Being creatures of fire, their most dangerous foe is water. Rain and human hunters are their biggest threat.
Mating Rituals: Once a year, midsummer, Earthlurk will convene in volcanoes to mate. They attract each other by splitting open their shells, allowing their central flames blaze out.
Reproduction: They will pair off and wrap their forms around each other. Earthlurks have no genitalia, instead they will mold into a large boulder and drop into the lava. Two adults will melt off into four young and crawl out of the volcano to begin life anew.
Organization: Earthlurks are solitary, territorial creatures.
Other: The name Earthlurk was dubbed by humans for obvious reasons.