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**Game Master Dark** · (This post was last modified: Aug 08 2022, 10:09 AM by Game Master Dark.)

Lacerta is a large volcanic island in Fornax. To reach it, one may choose to either traverse a dangerous tunnel from Fornax's outer wall that leads past leeches, pit traps and venomous snakes to a waterslide that emerges outside Lacerta, or to cross Fornax's sea. At the far end of the sea, shrouded in thick fog, one can find a narrow entrance in the cave wall--barely thirty meters across. Passing through, one will find that Fornax opens back out into another massive cave space, as though Fornax itself were hourglass-shaped.

Lacerta features a humid jungle with thick fog, and temple ruins at its heart. Living throughout the island are Lesser Gembound unique to this region: enormous, prehistoric-looking beasts that are still being discovered.

Lacerta was discovered in this thread! Squallfangs and Azhdar have yet to be discovered, and characters may roll on Lacerta after the quest's completion to try and find them, though the encounters may be dangerous...

Lacerta's Lesser Gembound

These Lessers are often anything but. Designed to be a working ecosystem in macro form, many are absolute behemoths in comparison with the Lessers in the rest of the caves. While there are smaller, speedier exceptions, many of Lacerta's Lesser Gembound are a challenge to tackle and a triumph to overcome. Various forms of toxins and bioluminescence are often found among them. Lacerta's creatures are mostly adapted for hot, humid temperatures, and may not do well if taken to cooler, drier caves.

^{Image by Gortys!}

Skrungler

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Dangerous in groups and to weakened Gembound
Diet: Carnivorous: Carrion, Weakened Prey
Height: ~ 2-3 ft
Quirk(s): Bioluminescent, venomous

Skrunglers are the cave rats of Lacerta. Quick, cowardly and cautious, they're generally more of an irritation than anything, usually found prowling for (and snacking on) carrion before it dissolves to Oil, along with mice, insects, and other tiny prey. However, they do have a mildly venomous bite that can instill hallucinations in the unwary, and when confronting a sickened or weakened Gembound, their cowardice can be overcome by savage predatory behavior. In these scenarios they will overwhelm a target with darting bites of their venom. They're far more dangerous at night, when their glowing eyes can be seen dashing through the underbrush in large groups: their night vision is excellent, and although healthy prey is still generally avoided, they pose a very real threat to a wounded Gembound caught on Lacerta at night. A rare few Skrunglers come in a deep brown-red, rather than the typical blue. Discovered by Kaimana!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Sailfin Singer

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Harmless, flighty
Diet: Herbivorous, prefers fruits
Height: ~ 6 ft
Quirk(s): Haunting calls

Singers--aka Sailfins--are a vague equivalent to Origin's cave deer, but much larger and heavier. They move in small herds, sticking to dense underbrush, and are capable of moving very quietly; their camouflage is excellent, even taking into account the sail atop their heads. But when a group needs to keep contact in the thick brush, their calls can carry quite a distance. These calls are haunting, loud and echoing, and sound like they're made by a far larger animal. Sailfin Singers are very fast, and rely on nimble agility and speed to carry them out of harm's way; they're capable of turning very sharply and accelerating quickly through even the thickest brush to escape predators. Six feet at the shoulder, Singers are about half the size of Pugnas, and during the day, small herds of Singers can converge out on the plains in the company of the far larger Pugnas--grazing alongside them, and using their larger size for protection. Discovered by Relic!

^{Image by Navy & Gortys!}

Devilbeak

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Capable Of Self-Defense
Diet: Omnivorous
Height: ~ 4 ft
Quirk(s): Horrible Screams

Devilbeaks are smaller Lessers on Lacerta, only around four feet tall, though long-bodied. Despite their size they're not without self-defense: their hide is thick and pebbled, spined in places; a muscular tail bears a heavy, spined club at the tip, and a thick pelt of sharp, irritating, toxic quills covers their backs. The tail can easily break bones, and the quills can dislodge, quickly causing serious damage to the body's blood cells if not removed. That being said, their first instinct is always flight; they are prey creatures, and they know it, and will attempt to flee until cornered. The Devilbeak is quick, somewhat intelligent, and omnivorous; it often is found feeding on fruit, insects or even smaller prey, using claws to tear apart rotten logs or bones in the process. Devilbeaks are social but fairly aggressive, engaging in head-butting competitions for rank where they lock horns and wrestle. Their territorial calls are a horrific, harsh, discordant screech--an absolutely hellish sound that, along with their color and their horns, gives the Devilbeaks their name. Discovered by Madhukar!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Prickleback

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Mostly Harmless
Diet: Omnivorous - plants and insects
Height: ~ 3 ft
Quirk(s): Squishy, with toxic fur

Pricklebacks are one of the more harmless beasts of Lacerta, and probably the only one that could be considered easy prey. Even so, they're incredibly fast, capable of launching themselves almost ten feet straight up with powerful hind legs. They're also somewhat social, living in small groups that tend to linger around the herds of larger animals; they keep wary watch with their three eyes, giving advance warning of danger and in return, gain protection from larger herbivores. Pricklebacks carry their young in pouches, and are coated in warm, thick feathers that camouflage them in Lacerta's underbrush. They tend to be found pecking along the jungle floor to forage on seeds and insects, and their calls consist of soothing chirps and trills. While they're generally flighty, a large number of spines are found along their bodies to deter potential predators, and the fur, if licked or breathed against, is quite toxic, capable of inducing paralysis. Experienced predators know to get rid of the spikes and fur before trying to eat a Prickleback. Discovered by Nidhogg!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Benjamin

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Dangerous
Diet: Omnivorous, prefers plants
Height: ~ 6 ft
Quirk(s): Can Inflate Size

No one knows how Benjamins got their name, but they are each and every one a force to be reckoned with. While generally solitary, placid and slow-moving, they brook absolutely no threat in their presence. Benjamins are already very broad, heavily-muscled beasts with a thickly armored hide, and are capable of inflating themselves somewhat with a layer of inhaled, compressed air between the layers of muscle and skin. Once inflated they will not hesitate to charge down any threat, trampling it beneath their weight or, more often, pinning it against a wall until it suffocates or is crushed. They are, despite being faster than perhaps expected, not all that speedy, and are--when not threatened--relatively docile. Benjamins generally extend their necks to feed on higher plants (or to pick up a few insects here and there to eat), but are capable of almost fully retracting them. Discovered by V-Labradorite-One!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Azhdar

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Deadly
Diet: Carnivorous
Wingspan: ~ 40 ft
Quirk(s): Shockingly Vicious

Azhdars are, thankfully, somewhat rare. Thankfully, because they are deadly, opportunistic and incredibly fierce. They are also very efficient predators, utilizing their ability to soar silently for hours--and their many eyes along both the top of their heads and beneath their jaws--in order to spot potential prey before folding all four wings and plunging into a deadly dive. Their heads alone are nearly ten feet long, their massive beak capable of gaping wide to swallow smaller Gembounds--Lesser or Greater--whole. They will not hesitate to attack even larger creatures, particularly if they're already injured, with hit-and-run strikes from the sky. Azhdars stand about twelve feet tall from feet to crown, with the head is nearly as long as the body. Azhdars are also territorial, and accidentally straying too close to a nest will result in vicious, relentless attacks. They are resilient, resourceful and somewhat intelligent, able to figure out how to crack open shellfish and willing to eat almost any form of fish or meat. Not yet discovered! This Lesser cannot yet be randomly encountered.

^{Image by Gortys!}

Pugna

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Dangerous When Threatened
Diet: Herbivorous
Height: ~ 12 ft
Quirk(s): Varying Double Heads

Pugnas are strange beasts. They are herd-oriented herbivores, tending to move in large groups through the few open areas of Lacerta to graze during the day before retreating to the jungles and browsing thicker foliage at dawn and dusk. They are Lacerta's larger prey species, some forty-five feet long and twelve feet tall at the shoulder, and are large, heavy and strong, but relatively fast runners when using all six legs. Each Pugna has two heads, which can come in a variety of colors and patterns, and which each have their own distinct mind; generally, one head will eat while the other keeps watch, but at times the heads may 'argue'--sometimes loudly--when one wants to eat, despite the fact that they share a stomach. Discovered by Obieth!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Scythorn

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Dangerous When Threatened
Diet: Herbivorous
Height: ~ 9 ft
Quirk(s): Extravagant Display Behavior

Scythorn--pronounced "scythe-horn"--are immensely bulky, very strong herbivores that, like Benjamins, tolerate absolutely no threat. Despite being herbivorous--preferring to graze, browse and dig up roots to eat--they're highly aggressive, readily banding together to drive off any carnivore that dares draw close. Though they'll mingle with other herbivores at times, they tend to graze and browse just a little apart. Social beasts, they constantly jostle for hierarchy, and their magnificent displays include the ruffling and raising of feathers, the display of their frills, digging at the ground, and bellowing. Actual clashes are unusual but intensely violent. If actually attacked, the entire herd is likely to defend, unless the threat is immense; they attempt to trample smaller targets, or gore and impale larger with tosses of the bladed frill lining their faces. Discovered by Nidhogg!

^{Image by Gortys!}

Deinocornus

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Deadly
Diet: Carnivorous
Height: ~ 5 ft
Quirk(s): Bioluminescent Mouth

Deinocornus are solitary ambush predators, taking the role of tigers or jaguars on Lacerta. They stalk the underbrush, moving in near-silence until they find prey, which they attempt to single out and take with a crushing bite. They tend to go for quick, silent kills to avoid angering the large herd animals that they prey upon. Long claws can disembowel enemies or prey in protracted fights. That said, prey that doesn't immediately succumb, and puts up a strong fight, can deter a Deinocornus's attempts; they tend to disengage and flee if their own lives are in danger. Their large horns are used both for display and fighting amongst themselves and, rarely, other creatures. Deinocornus are capable of emitting bright, usually blue, light from the mucus membranes of the mouth, for purposes of communication (usually threat or mating displays) with others of their kind. They mark territory with large slashes on logs and trees, and tend to avoid one another except when wanting to contest territory or seek a partner. Deinocornus is quite large--though only five feet tall, they are very long and muscular, and will attempt to prey on almost any of Lacerta's herbivores. Only fully adult Pugnas and Scythorns are left alone, though a Deinocornus will take their calves, when they can. Discovered by Madhukar!

^{Image by Dark!}

Ripclaw

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Deadly
Diet: Omnivorous
Height: ~ 8 ft
Quirk(s): Bioluminescent Feathers

Ripclaws are large, athletic and highly aggressive creatures that can be found alone or in pairs, often along the edges of herbivore herds, where they're tolerated. Though omnivorous, they do not actively hunt large prey, instead only eating carrion or creatures the size of rats or mice--or Skrungers. Like Scythorns, they're incredibly intolerant of actual predators, and will actively pursue and attack any potential threat that they see. In combat they are deadly, utilizing slashes of enormous, razor-sharp claws on their forelimbs to tear at and disembowel targets. Their crushing jaws are capable of splitting smaller bones, though they're generally used for breaking heavy shells and nuts to eat. Ripclaws can induce a bright, rippling glow along their feathers, like iridescence but actually luminescent, usually in threat or communication with others of their kind. Discovered by Khavur!

^{Image by Dark!}

Ogler

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Dangerous If Attacked
Diet: Herbivorous
Height: ~ 12 ft
Quirk(s): Bioluminescent, Toxic Blood; Camouflaging Plates

Some nine feet tall at the spine, twelve tall at the tips of their plates, and a little over thirty feet long, Oglers are another of Lacerta's larger, more dangerous herbivores. They're generally surprisingly well-hidden, staying in thick brush where their plates shift colors to match the foliage. They browse among bushes, eating any plants they come across, seeking out fruit where they can with long, sticky, glowing tongues and then crushing their food in strong, tusked jaws. They're generally very docile, ignoring (or perhaps not recognizing) most potential threats, until actually attacked. When attacked, an Ogler's plates provide defense, as do the keratinous spikes along their bodies; the spined tail is quite capable of swinging with powerful speed to impale or heavily lacerate a threat. Even when slain, their blood is toxic; eating their flesh can provide nutrition, but the more blood is consumed, the worse symptoms (dizziness, confusion and eventual unconsciousness) become. That said, Oglers are incredibly stupid animals, having gained their name from a peculiar habit: upon finding something foreign to them, they will tend to stop and simply stare at it for a very long time, as if trying to make sense of it. When moving out into the fields, they move in small herds, calling out others of their kind with long, fluting calls, though they lack any real form of organization. Discovered by Relic!

^{Image by Dark!}

Squallfang

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Deadly
Diet: Carnivorous
Height: ~ 12 ft
Quirk(s): Bioluminescent, Amphibious

Squallfangs are Lacerta's apex predator, though they tend to avoid conflict with other carnivores, preferring a life of slow, steady, solitary hunting. With both long, muscular legs and a powerful, finned tail, Squallfangs are adept at prowling both land and sea, often circling the shoreline around Lacerta for larger fish or unwary herbivores drinking at the water's edge. Larger Squallfangs will stalk the thick jungle, or even harass herds on the plains, unafraid of tackling larger prey. They are not mindlessly violent, however, and seek out prey that won't pose too much of a threat: weak or sick, or younger creatures, or those small enough for them to quickly kill. Given their size, however, this includes most of Lacerta's creatures. When hunting, powerful forearms with shearing pincers can shred victims in close quarters; immensely powerful jaws are capable of crushing and tearing bone. Colored spots along their various fins can blink and pulse with light, usually used when underwater to communicate to others of their kind or to lure in fish as prey. While Squallfangs have lungs and must surface to breathe, they are capable for holding their breath for nearly an hour, provided their activity is relatively sedate; exertion requires more frequent breaths. Not yet discovered! This Lesser cannot yet be randomly encountered.

^{Image by Dark!}

Skimmer

Location(s): Lacerta (Fornax)
Danger Level: Harmless
Diet: Piscivore
Wingspan: ~ 8 ft
Quirk(s): Split Mandibles, Unique Crests

Skimmers fill the niche of Lacerta's airborne, less deadly fauna. Rather than apex predator role that the Azhdar fills, Skimmers are social flock Lessers that fill the skies with their bright, lingering calls. They nest and roost on higher cliffs to avoid Lacerta's larger threats, while sweeping down to the river and shores to skim for their main dietary preference: fish, preferably Starscales, Silverlings and the young Redfangs that spawn there, though they'll eat just about anything they can swallow from the 'sea.' Skimmers have several unique traits: first is their forked head crest, which has a color and pattern unique to each individual and allows them to identify one another at a distance; their eye pigment tends to match their crests. Another is the split mandible, which can open wide to allow a large pouch to help them in scooping up large amounts of tiny fish or Water Crawlers. Lastly, Skimmers are fairly intelligent creatures, and while flighty and shy, are capable of basic problem-solving in pursuit of meals. Skimmers become lonely when isolated, and do not thrive without company; a lost Skimmer will tend to become depressed and lethargic until it finds its flock again. Skimmers will scatter at the sight of an Azhdar above them; Azhdars will pick slow Skimmers off and eat them. But when Azhdars begin to soar in search of prey, Skimmers will sometimes fly above and behind one in the hopes of scavenging a meal of their own. On occasion, larger Lacerta beasts such as Ripsqualls will lie out on shore so that the Skimmers can pick sea-leech Drinkers from their hide. Discovered by Obieth!