The Sharku
A jungle which covers the whole western half of Hyarmenor between the White Void in the south to the Zungum in the north. It's name means "Old Man" in orcish and is frequently personified as a caring grandfather not only to the orcs but all Kin, for it was once their home.
Geography
The jungle's canopy is so thick as to block out all light at the ground level. Sunlight only breaks through in new clearings and breaks caused by rivers. This shields the Sharku's many light sensitive residents from the sun, but also creates a ecosystem in which these patches of light can provide shelter to creatures able to withstand sun.
Fauna & Flora
Dark Zone Creatures
Jaguar- Much like earth jaguars. However they hunt and live in packs due to the substantially larger prey and competitor species in the Sharku. Raptor- Birdlike dinosaurs of a variety of breeds with varying amounts of fur, feathers, or bare scaly skin. They are pack hunters which function primarily by ambush. Cockatrice- Reptilian fowl which petrify the skin and outer flesh of their prey, before crawling in through the prey's mouth to eat their inner flesh. Gibbon- Small apes that primarily eat fruits and leaves. Live primarily in the far upper reaches of the canopy to avoid large predators, even collecting rain on leaves. Though when they are forced to seek out surface water sources they do so at night. Swarm Slug- Slugs between one and three feet long which scour the jungle floor for any detritus, carcasses, or living animals. They move in swarms of between fifty and five hundred individuals. Mossback Turtle- Carriage to cottage sized tortoises that eat moss and dead trees. Their thick shell protects them from most though not all predators. Frequently grow fungus or vines on their shell due to relative stillness. False Turtle- Carriage to cottage sized arboreal squid which inhabits the shells of slain mossback turtles. The turtle meat is consumed, then the squid uses their tentacles to imitate the tortoise's head and legs. It uses this new shell home to hunt smaller prey. Throughout its life as the squid grows is seeks out progressively larger turtles to take their shells. Tyrant Lizards- a collection of various theropod dinosaurs including allosaurus, tarbosaurus, and tyrannosaurus. All large carnivores that hunt in packs. Attempt to hunt river dinosaurs at night. Scythe Lizard- Theropod dinosaurs with long scythe-like claws, but are entirely herbivorous They eat primarily tree foliage and use their claws to pull branches down for easier feeding while in a seated position. They are also naturally used for defense. Known as Therizinosaurus in real life. Light Zone Creatures
Spinosaurus- Apex river predator dinosaur. They mostly consume small to medium sized fish, but also fight to defend their river territory from any other predators. As a result spinosaurus territories generally see a rise in fish populations as there is only a single large predator rather than many of differing sizes. Crested Duckbill- Large dinosaur herbivore, primarily subsisting on water plants and leafy greens. Live in small to medium sized herds. Based on real life Parasaurolophus. Hornbill- Brightly colored birds with large down-curved bills. Omnivorous feeding on fruit and small animals.Feathers and crests frequently used by Homeland orcs in decoration. Terror Bird- Ten foot tall pursuit predators who kill via bloodloss. Clawed Duckbill- Dinosaurs with features both of the scythe lizard and crested duckbill. It is a herbivore that grazed on water plants. Unliked the crested duckbill it is primarily solitary, protecting itself with long forearm claws and a thick coat of shaggy fur. Known as Deinocheirus in real life. Migratory Creatures
Stegosaurus- Large dinosaur herbivore feeding primarily on moss and vegetation which grow in rotting wood. In service of this the stegosauruses use their tails to knock over dead or small trees so that they might eat later. Jungle Dragon- The Sharku hosts a large population of diverse dragons. Though all dragons adapt during incubation to the environment they will hatch in, the jungle has a peculiarly strong effect on these hatchlings frequently resulting in dragons that look nothing like their parents. Often times with plant features, or features borrowed from jungle fauna.
Jaguar- Much like earth jaguars. However they hunt and live in packs due to the substantially larger prey and competitor species in the Sharku. Raptor- Birdlike dinosaurs of a variety of breeds with varying amounts of fur, feathers, or bare scaly skin. They are pack hunters which function primarily by ambush. Cockatrice- Reptilian fowl which petrify the skin and outer flesh of their prey, before crawling in through the prey's mouth to eat their inner flesh. Gibbon- Small apes that primarily eat fruits and leaves. Live primarily in the far upper reaches of the canopy to avoid large predators, even collecting rain on leaves. Though when they are forced to seek out surface water sources they do so at night. Swarm Slug- Slugs between one and three feet long which scour the jungle floor for any detritus, carcasses, or living animals. They move in swarms of between fifty and five hundred individuals. Mossback Turtle- Carriage to cottage sized tortoises that eat moss and dead trees. Their thick shell protects them from most though not all predators. Frequently grow fungus or vines on their shell due to relative stillness. False Turtle- Carriage to cottage sized arboreal squid which inhabits the shells of slain mossback turtles. The turtle meat is consumed, then the squid uses their tentacles to imitate the tortoise's head and legs. It uses this new shell home to hunt smaller prey. Throughout its life as the squid grows is seeks out progressively larger turtles to take their shells. Tyrant Lizards- a collection of various theropod dinosaurs including allosaurus, tarbosaurus, and tyrannosaurus. All large carnivores that hunt in packs. Attempt to hunt river dinosaurs at night. Scythe Lizard- Theropod dinosaurs with long scythe-like claws, but are entirely herbivorous They eat primarily tree foliage and use their claws to pull branches down for easier feeding while in a seated position. They are also naturally used for defense. Known as Therizinosaurus in real life. Light Zone Creatures
Spinosaurus- Apex river predator dinosaur. They mostly consume small to medium sized fish, but also fight to defend their river territory from any other predators. As a result spinosaurus territories generally see a rise in fish populations as there is only a single large predator rather than many of differing sizes. Crested Duckbill- Large dinosaur herbivore, primarily subsisting on water plants and leafy greens. Live in small to medium sized herds. Based on real life Parasaurolophus. Hornbill- Brightly colored birds with large down-curved bills. Omnivorous feeding on fruit and small animals.Feathers and crests frequently used by Homeland orcs in decoration. Terror Bird- Ten foot tall pursuit predators who kill via bloodloss. Clawed Duckbill- Dinosaurs with features both of the scythe lizard and crested duckbill. It is a herbivore that grazed on water plants. Unliked the crested duckbill it is primarily solitary, protecting itself with long forearm claws and a thick coat of shaggy fur. Known as Deinocheirus in real life. Migratory Creatures
Stegosaurus- Large dinosaur herbivore feeding primarily on moss and vegetation which grow in rotting wood. In service of this the stegosauruses use their tails to knock over dead or small trees so that they might eat later. Jungle Dragon- The Sharku hosts a large population of diverse dragons. Though all dragons adapt during incubation to the environment they will hatch in, the jungle has a peculiarly strong effect on these hatchlings frequently resulting in dragons that look nothing like their parents. Often times with plant features, or features borrowed from jungle fauna.
Type
Jungle
Related Ethnicities
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