Praxis
Brief Overview
The Praxis are known to be fickle beasts who are categorized in the large size category. They are feared for the incredibly brutal method they use to not only consume, but capture their prey for slow consumption...General Overview
Praxis are playful predators, meaning they don't always attack when they are hungry. They may attack simply because they are bored and want to play with something. Unlike most predators, the Praxis doesn't have a normal mouth. Instead, they have organic vents that they use to expel an anesthetic gas in order to incapacitate their prey.Praxis have a powerful two-pronged tail which they use to wrap tightly around their unconscious prey before taking off full sprint throughout the valley. A Praxis can run around 80 kph (50 mph) without breaking a sweat, so this is not an ideal situation for the prey. Praxis will do this in order to mangle their prey so they can drag them back to their den and consume them alive over longer durations. Their actual mouths reside in their paws, meaning these danger cats will kneed their victims to death slowly.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Praxis are quadrupeds that possess a two-pronged tail, which is used to grapple and drag prey over large distances. They are known to be damn near made of muscle and due to their powerful build they don't fear other predators, however, because of their territorial personalities they will react with hostility to other Praxis in their territory.
A Praxis hind legs are longer than its front legs, giving them the ability to leap forward 20-30ft in one jump to close the distance between them and their prey. The front legs are thicker than the back legs and their front paws are where the mouths are located. These two smaller mouths are used to eat away at successful kills, but outwardly it appears as if the Praxis is happily kneading the corpse.
The Praxis are considered to be the apex predator of the valley both because of their capable physical attributes and their ability to use the mist to their advantage. They are the largest mammal known to live in the valley and they are one of the few large cats that cannot roar because where their mouth should be is instead several holes. The holes located further back between the jaws are larger, and the holes just below their noses are smaller. These orifices are how the Praxis emits its mists and limited sounds.
Possible vocalizations include hissing, moaning, and chuffing. Each is used in an attempt to mimic their prey, luring them deeper into the mist to disorient them.
The Praxis themselves have no need to use these noises among one another because they communicate solely with body language and pheromones in their mist.
A Praxis hind legs are longer than its front legs, giving them the ability to leap forward 20-30ft in one jump to close the distance between them and their prey. The front legs are thicker than the back legs and their front paws are where the mouths are located. These two smaller mouths are used to eat away at successful kills, but outwardly it appears as if the Praxis is happily kneading the corpse.
The Praxis are considered to be the apex predator of the valley both because of their capable physical attributes and their ability to use the mist to their advantage. They are the largest mammal known to live in the valley and they are one of the few large cats that cannot roar because where their mouth should be is instead several holes. The holes located further back between the jaws are larger, and the holes just below their noses are smaller. These orifices are how the Praxis emits its mists and limited sounds.
Possible vocalizations include hissing, moaning, and chuffing. Each is used in an attempt to mimic their prey, luring them deeper into the mist to disorient them.
The Praxis themselves have no need to use these noises among one another because they communicate solely with body language and pheromones in their mist.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Praxis only mate once every ten years. This is when the den mother (the APEX of the apex predators) releases a pheromone strong enough to attract all surrounding Praxis for their mating ritual. No matter where she treads, all territory is immediately established as hers until she leaves. This one gathering is the only chance for other females to challenge the den mother for her status, and for males to potentially mate with the den mother to secure the alpha male position as only the alpha male may mate with the den mother due to an instinctive need to breed for efficiency.
Den mothers are the most powerful of their species and they will kill any males they consider inferior. In most cases she fights with the approaching males in order to determine their worth. To gain the title of Den mother a female praxis must fight and kill the current den mother. In some cases, the previous Den mother dies due to being unable to defend themselves in old age. When this happens it raises potential risks for the succeeding female because if the new den mothers pheromones aren't potent enough to command the males, after the death of the first mother the surrounding male Praxis will unintentionally swarm and kill the new mother in a desperate attempt to breed with a Den mother. All Praxis mate, however, all males will respond to the pheromones of the female who has killed the last Den mother, though the reason for this is still undetermined. Once the mating season is over, the alpha male will travel as far as it can from the Den mother while she bears the next generation of potential alpha Praxis. The alpha male is known to stalk the border of the mist in an attempt to lure or drag passerbys into the fog. Due to what is known about the alpha male, it's assumed that the Den mother resides somewhere in the center of the valley.
The Praxis reproduce like most felines, taking around 6 weeks to give birth and usually bearing between 2 - 4 cubs per litter. Praxis are not by any means social animals, however, the mother will remain with her cubs for up to 8 weeks. Once her cubs have tails powerful enough to drag small game and hunt small prey the mother will chase her cubs from her territory, forcing them to adapt or die.
Den mothers are the most powerful of their species and they will kill any males they consider inferior. In most cases she fights with the approaching males in order to determine their worth. To gain the title of Den mother a female praxis must fight and kill the current den mother. In some cases, the previous Den mother dies due to being unable to defend themselves in old age. When this happens it raises potential risks for the succeeding female because if the new den mothers pheromones aren't potent enough to command the males, after the death of the first mother the surrounding male Praxis will unintentionally swarm and kill the new mother in a desperate attempt to breed with a Den mother. All Praxis mate, however, all males will respond to the pheromones of the female who has killed the last Den mother, though the reason for this is still undetermined. Once the mating season is over, the alpha male will travel as far as it can from the Den mother while she bears the next generation of potential alpha Praxis. The alpha male is known to stalk the border of the mist in an attempt to lure or drag passerbys into the fog. Due to what is known about the alpha male, it's assumed that the Den mother resides somewhere in the center of the valley.
The Praxis reproduce like most felines, taking around 6 weeks to give birth and usually bearing between 2 - 4 cubs per litter. Praxis are not by any means social animals, however, the mother will remain with her cubs for up to 8 weeks. Once her cubs have tails powerful enough to drag small game and hunt small prey the mother will chase her cubs from her territory, forcing them to adapt or die.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Praxis are absolute carnivores, and they will only target living prey. Praxis do not scavenge, but they will exert the energy to fight other predators who are toying with living prey.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
They're typically only found in the Valley of mist, but there have been a few rare sightings in northern Birtham and Tundarus. Due to their specific ecological needs, most Praxis encounters are rare outside of the specified locations allowing the citizens of Eden to sleep a little better at night.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Praxis have several interesting capabilities and they are as follows:
- Tail - The tail of a Praxis is long, two-pronged, and versatile, allowing it to fully wrap around objects or limbs and squeeze with the ability to exert 180 mm Hg of pressure. That’s about 60 mm Hg higher than the healthy blood pressure of a human being. This means that their tails not only grip hard, but hard enough to cut off blood flow. On average a Praxis tail can range between 3-5ft long, the spinal cord breaking down into 200-400 vertebrae with small rib-like flexible bones casing it like a tube. The tails are recorded to have between 10,000-15,000 muscles inside of them and are used by the Praxis to coil around the prey. A fully matured Praxis will aim their tail for the throat, gripping them tightly as they run at speeds up to 50mph while dragging their unconscious prey behind them. This mangles the prey so that even in the event that the prey somehow resists the sleeping gas, the Praxis can run up a tree and the prey will be powerless to stop itself from being hanged and strangled.
- Anesthetic gas - The Praxis use the vents on their face to emit a powerful anesthetic gas. The gas produced appears to be a thick greyish-white color, allowing the Praxis to use its anesthetic gas and its coat colors to camouflage itself in the thick fog of the valley.
- Paws - The two front paws on a Praxis are incredibly muscular. Modern day scientists theorize that this is because they need a lot of strength to both carry their weight and to protect the mouths located at the center of their paws as well as the throats tunneling up through their arms. They keep them closed while walking and prowling, however, they will open briefly when passing through water, when eating, and when swatting playfully at something moving fast.
- Eyelids - These unique felines possess a third eyelid that most refer to as a nictitating membrane. This special membrane slips over the eye and helps to moisten it and protect them from debris or bugs that may obstruct their vision while the Praxis is running. One fascinating fact about the Praxis nictitating membranes is that unlike most creatures, theirs help them to see better in dense fogs, allowing them to easily navigate the Valley of Mist without the use of their other senses.
Lifespan
35 years
Average Height
9.8 – 12 ft (3 to 3.6 m)
Average Weight
705 – 1,200 pounds (320 – 550 kg)
Average Length
3 – 3.5 m
Geographic Distribution
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