Nightbeasts

The nightbeasts are a nocturnal, carnivorous species that live in the The Spires located on Crion. During the day, the beasts sleep underneath the sand, the only thing that can be seen are the thin spikes that rest along the creature's back. At night, the creatures awaken and spend most of this time hunting and eating.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Large and bulky, a nightbeast is a quadruped with no tail, thin spines standing upright along its back, and along neck that leads to a sizeable head. The creature has no eyes but a set of quills around its face with slits beneath that act as nostrils. It has a large mouth that houses a row of long serrated teeth used strictly for tearing into flesh.
They are sexually monomorphic creatures, though some tend to believe that females have shorter back spines than the males. This has not been proven. With four muscular legs, nightbeasts rely on speed and stealthy to take down their prey. Stalking them in the night and charging forward with a sudden burst of speed to quickly pounce onto their prey. If they fail to catch them in the initial charge, they rely on their large build to mow them over stun them for a time. Their back legs are digitgrade, allowing a more nimble gait, as well as to press themselves closer to the ground or even stand on their hind-legs. Their forelimbs are used to catch prey and dig, as on the end of both of these limbs are long-curved claws that allow the animal to dig underneath the packed sand and create small den pockets.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Possessing no eyes or visible ears, the quills on a nightbeasts head is believed to act as nostrils and a filtration system. Very little has been observed about nightbeasts due to their ferocious and absolute territorial aggression but it is believed that they can pick up scents from up to ten miles away.