Grey Render

Threat Level: High (in theory)

Physical Description

A towering mass of sinew and muscle, wrapped in a leathery grey skin, the Gray Render stands at 9 feet tall and weighs an excess of 4,000 pounds, of which very little is composed of fat, with some reports claiming to have witnessed a gray render uprooting a fully grown tree and tearing it to splinters in search of prey!

Additionally, with a total of 6 eyes, its sight is something to admire. While researching a a particularly gnarled individual, it was able to spot me from over 60ft away, whilst I lay in chest high grass. Of course this scared the dickens out of my editor, Randal Phillips, who had been assigned as my baby sitter.

Behavior

 What makes the Gray Render truly fascinating is, in my opinion, its juxtaposed personalities. On one hand, it is a Hyper aggressive, apex killing machines, that will not hesitate to rip you, and any structure you’ve chosen to hide within, to pieces. And when it hunts, it will go into a blood thirsty rampage, leaving a bloody swath in its wake. And after the brutes simmered down, it will walk its bloody trail back, eating whatever viscera remains.

While on the other hand, there are very few creatures on Jotunheim more caring and affectionate than the Grey Render. Often risking life and limb for those it’s become attached to. Growing seemingly random attachments to creatures that can last anywhere from a couple of weeks, to years. Additionally, the Gray Render will even attempt to feed and nurture the creature. (refer to the Steadfast Friends portion of the article.)

Surprisingly, however, this kinship does not extend to its kin. In fact, they are completely intolerant of each other, even going so far as to kill any fellow Gray Renders they may happen upon. And while they are capable of sexually reproducing, almost ALL prefer a sexually reproducing, further limiting their interaction with others of their kind! As for young that they produce, however, a near inseparable bond will form, leading to them becoming extremely close. Of course, ecosystems can’t support two Gray Renders, so the young and parent will inevitably seperated due to necessity, but will still remember each other should they meet again.  

Steadfast Friends

Despite their deep hatred for one another, these big sweet hearts just ADORE everything else!! Bonding to anything and everything, taking on a caring and protective role for whatever critter they may have found! And as my editor experienced first hand, they will even go as far as attempting to feed their new friend the meat they acquire, along with any other needs it thinks they may have. Additionally, it is important to note that this bond goes much deeper than simply “friends”, as even mind altering spells are incapable of making a Gray Render harm any creature it has imprinted on. It isn’t uncommon for these beast

Of course, this isn’t just limited to humanoids, but even other animals. From cows, birds, butterflies, deer, sheep, dogs, cats, terror birds, and even dinosaurs. Almost humorously, even if their bonded “friend” shows aggression towards the poor thing (usually happening in such cases when it bonds to aggressive predators), it will refuse to defend its self, instead becoming confused and keeping its distance, or interpreting the aggressive actions as play. And due to their HIGHLY resilient skin and immeasurable strength, it is a very safe bet to say that once you’ve caught a Gray Renders fancy, very little can save you from their love.

Destructive by Nature

Aloof and unaware of their size and strength, it is a dangerous game to play with a Gray Render, and play they do! A plethora of past times has been noted by both laughing Giant Slayers, and distraught farmers, with all accounts demonstrating their lack of situational awareness. Such acts of play, and the results there of, have included: The uprooting and gnawing of tree roots. Which has resulted in the blockage of important paths and roads. And the chasing of butterflies, clueless to their surroundings. Which has, unsurprisingly, cause many damaged and toppled homes, due to the Gray Renders lack of dexterity and maneuverability on sharp turns

Of course, this makes them wholly unpredictable, often jumping from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. And this comes as no surprise, considering the adorable oafs have the attention span of a forgetful goldfish, often dropping a task completely, in favor of pursuing another. And while this can be humorous from a distance, I can attest it is highly stressful up close, given their size and capabilities. But even despite this unreliability, they have proven beyond loyal to those it has bonded with. Even if this creature were to attack the Gray Render, it would simply wander off, before inevitably returning.

A piece I like to call “Randal & Friend”. But in all seriousness, we had found this old girl (who I have affectionately named Butterscotch) wailing alone in a cave in our search for a specimen. Turns out, some cruel bastard had stolen her baby, and wounded her in the process.

Luckily, Randal, who had been forced to accompany me on this expedition, was able to patch her up. Of course, this was after we calmed her down, and she ceased trying to kill us. After which, the Gray Render seemed to become quite attached to Randal, much to his chagrin, and much to my amusement. I have attached my journal on the hunt for, along with the subsequent adopting of, Butterscotch.
Personal Journal of Humber Dumblfeet: Butterscotch the Gray Render

Although a fairly rare sight, the Gray Render is very picky on where they decide to set their homes. Usually choosing highly forest, hilly or swampish areas. Although, as many a dower farmer will relay, that doesn't mean you won't encounter one on its way to another home, where one may not expect to see a Gray Render.