The Osorse - Apex Predators - Basu Region

In the Basuran homelands there exists a predator so fierce it is said to be both a blessing and a curse to the Basuran people called Osorse (plural) or Osor (singluar). Through the resurgence period the Basurans were tormented and preyed upon by the Osor.
It is generally accepted that because of this natural threat of predation it resulted in the Basurans evolving faster into a civilization with scientific or more specifically technological progress. The predation is also what instilled the strong communal ties and appreciation for taking on challenges in groups or conversely being shaken when left exposed as individuals for any given task.

Basic Information

Anatomy

These creatures are large even by Skrynox standards and range in color from dark browns to black with a dished face, bat like ears and stocky barrelled upper bodies. They have extremely muscular and pronounced forelimbs connected to a mass muscles, that appears hump like, behind its head between its shoulder blades. This large mass of muscle allows the Osorse to vault forward onto it’s pray, dig, climb and swim with astonishing speed.
It stands at approximately 3’-4’ on all four limbs and up to 5’-8’ when standing on its rear legs at full height. With males weighing approximately 400 - 600 pounds and females at 300 - 500 pounds. On the upside these fur covered murderous beasts have prodigiously poor eyesight with less than quick reaction time while tracking fast and erratic moving creatures.
The Osorse are fortunately not without fault, they tend to have poor eyesight and less than quick reaction time when it comes to pursuing extremely fast or agile prey that moves erratically. They are more likely to give up a chase unless provoked if they miss their initial pounce or pursue for a short period within it's hunting grounds.

Ecology and Habitats

The Osorse originated in the Chaparrals, Jungles and Mountain regions of Basu. Depending on their habitate they may have slight variations in fur coloring or even slight adaptations to the environment, for example the Jungle Osor differ from their Chaparral and Mountainous cousins by being better adapted to climbing trees and pouncing from a height onto their prey while other Osor are generally not found higher than ground level.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Osor is carniverous and for much of its time as a species hunting and subsiting off of Tragulidae and large rodents, largest being the Resurgence Era Basuran people.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Generally the Osor will echo-locate a tunnel system for it’s preferred prey of burrowing creatures. As it roams the trail of tunnels from above it will seek one of the tunnel openings and patiently wait in a pouncing position where it’s shorter legs will squat underneath its mass as it rests leaning forward on its forelimbs much like the common felines that Mekkans have as housepets.
Once its prey emerges from the targeted tunnel opening the Osor leaps into action, attempting to land on or close enough to the prey for it’s powerful arms to pin it or swipe it with a crushing blow to incapacitate or stun it. Some of those burrowing creatures were the unfortunate Basurans through the Resurgence Period. Fortunately this nocturnal terror that plagued them during their societies formative years caused the Basurans to develop technologies faster than the other Awoken Kaigen due to the necessity of surviving extinction by Osor as they couldn’t match this creature on any physical level.

Conservation Status

Due to the impact of industrialization and the Basurans expanded capabilities for defending themselves combined with their ingrained fear and hatred for the Osor this species was nearly driven to extinction and will most commonly be found in Basuran Zoos, as tamed beasts of burden or in the deepest regions of wilderness off well travelled Basuran routes. They are generally protected now by modern Basuran and only hunted when they pose a threat to settlements or when they cannot be relocated during Basuran societies expansion into the untamed wilds.