Krotcean
Krotceans are powerful Darklands-dwelling hunters feared for their psychic abilities and seemingly spontaneous appearances. Their stare can cloud the minds of their enemies, making them unable to think and move at their full capacity.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A krotcean has an insect-like body that is warped and mutated beyond its natural form. Nearly half of its size is its large, somewhat flat abdomen, which has twelve legs attached to it. The thorax and head stand upright from the abdomen, much like a centaur's human half. Two arms with large, scythe-shaped claws like those of a praying mantis emerge from the sides of the thorax, along with a smaller pair attached to the top of the shoulders. The head has a single large yellow eye, and tentacles emerge from the back and around the mouth.
Genetics and Reproduction
Female krotceans lay clutches of 2-7 eggs at a time, but since they do not lair or remain in one location, they do not watch or care for their young. The first young of a clutch to hatch will usually eat the other eggs immeditely. Since so few krotceans make it to adulthood, females are able to lay multiple clutches of eggs after mating only once.
Ecology and Habitats
Krotceans mostly inhabit the lower first and upper second layers of the Darklands. Being solitary creatures, they tend to avoid the more expansive layers deeper down, keeping to more confined spaces that they can still fit through. Despite this, they have been seen further below and above, and have even been known to venture onto the surface on rare occasion.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Krotceans are carnivorous predators, and they prowl the tunnels of the Darklands for prey. Since they are not very stealthy, they rely on their speed to chase prey down over short distances and their powerful forelimbs to grab it, before eating it alive. They also make use of their magical gaze to disable their prey and make it easier to catch and consume.
Behaviour
Krotceans are not territorial, and instead constantly wander through the Darklands' tunnels. Nevertheless, when two of them meet, even if they are opposite sexes, they tend to clash violently (female krotceans that wish to mate will send a unique telepathic signal into the surroundings). Similarly, a krotcean encountering another creature of similar power will often attempt to fight with it, even if it does not consider the creature to be prey. The reason for such behavior is unknown. When faced with a much more powerful creature, however, krotceans will always attempt to flee rather than fight. They seem to show a sort of defference and respect to the mukradi, another mutated insect species, leading some to believe that the somewhat similar creatures may be closely related.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Krotceans are solitary creatures who live and hunt alone, and will only intentionally seek each other out to mate.
Average Intelligence
Krotceans are intelligent enough to carry out basic strategies in combat and to assess potential threats of their likely power, but, despite their psychic abilities, they cannot speak.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Being accustomed to the deep underground tunnels of the Darklands, Krotceans can see in darkness and can also sense nearby creatures through the vibrations they create in the ground. They do not possess the ability to communicate through telepathy except when a female wishes to mate, and the signal she uses for this is simple and crude in nature.
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