Fetro

Written by Sierra Brown.
Artwork by Sierra Brown.

A small, many-legged creature covered in carapace and fur. The Fetro are native to the Takri region and valued outside the Union for their leather.

A very common sight throughout Takrino and the other settlements of the Takri Region, the fetro is a small, many-legged, fur and carapace covered creature similar in appearance to the much larger Rakiki of the planet Roka. Fetro are well known for being rather tame and docile, but constantly stumbling over people's feet and following them until they are fed - An unfortunate behavior stemming from the habit of early settlers to feed what they perceived as cute friendly wildlife. These days, fetro are more considered pests and annoyances, though some Drakari have tried to keep them as pets with disastrous results.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Small in size, the fetro are best compared to the size of a common household cat in Human settlements - Though the fetro are far from domesticated or pets. Each adult fetro has eight legs, and their bodies are covered in both coarse fur and a thick, hardened carapace. They lack a separate head, with their eyes and mouthparts instead a part of the front of their body, surrounded by the protective carapace.

Fetro legs end in a series of claws, allowing them to easily climb and hold onto various rough surfaces, though they struggle with the smoother stonework of Matari architecture.

Growth Rate & Stages

Fetro have three major phases of life. When born, a fetro is small, limbless, and completely dependent on its parents who care for the creature until it grows and reaches its second stage of life. After several months of growth, the young fetro will grow a hard carapace shell, completely enveloping it in a form of 'pupae'. It remains in this state, growing and changing within its shell for another month, before emerging as a full-sized, many-legged fetro.

Ecology and Habitats

Fetro are commonly found throughout the foggy lowlands of Takri, and seem to thrive in the unpleasant gaseous atmosphere of the region. They're generally not seen at the tops of the region's mesas, where the air is clearer, leading some biologists to believe fetro may rely on the emissions of the lowlands for some aspect of their survival.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Fetro are a herbivorous species, feeding off various plants throughout the region. Specifically, they commonly eat the laketi fruit, and are a major contributor to the natural spread of laketi pollen and seeds.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

While commonly regarded as a pest, and other nations of the Varkesh have found their hides to be extremely valuable in leathercraft, it is uncommon for the fetro to be hunted or exploited for their materials. Such activity would be considered heretical to the original Matari settlers and the followers of the Natural Civilization.

However, some poachers hunt the large populations of fetro in the wilderness and smuggle their pelts and carapace off-world for a pretty price.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Basic Information
   1. Anatomy
   2. Growth Rate & Stages
   3. Ecology and Habitats
   4. Dietary Needs and Habits
2. Additional Information
   1. Uses, Products & Exploitation

Etymology

The term 'Fetro' is a Si Kari approximation of the creatures name in Kata. The Kata name, in turn, is a mimickry of the sounds the creature makes while foraging, best described as sounding like 'fre-ti-ti-ti' in rapid succession.