Ukralam (Ukh-ral-am)
Summary
The ukralam (lit, 'running thunder'), is one of, if not the, apex predators of Immensio. Typically solitary or living in a mated pair, the ukralam roam across Immensio, preying on everything smaller than itself. Be they people or animals, the ukralam doesn't discriminate, but it does have a tolerance for the effort it will spend. Preferring easy meals, only a starving ukralam will commit to a dangerous or overly invested opportunity. Their attention span could be charmingly called short-lived otherwise. Strongly wind-aspected, the ukralam is terrifyingly fast, nimble, and all too capable at running. With endurance to back up its main strength, an ukralam can run down almost anything in Immensio. Terrain providing, it can do the same in Nemma, Lophern, Temu, and some parts of Sa-kemet. Hilly or mountainous environments hamper them greatly, if not pose a threat, and so ukralam avoid those regions when possible. Feared by the indigenous peoples of Immensio, the ukralam's reputation is well-deserved. Small groups and solitary wanderers can run afoul of a hungry one, but large tribes dissuade them. As they're opportunistic in nature, the ukralam may stalk potential prey for a while. The longer it goes on, the more it's likely to look elsewhere, but it's quite the harrowing experience. Thanks to the ukralam's speed, one deciding to attack can happen faster than most people are ready for. Even if it's dodged, the sheer bulk behind it can still cause problems, not to mention its whip-like tail. As they roam all over Immensio and its neighboring continents, the ukralam is an ever present threat. They're not much for climbing, so high ground or fortifications are enough to deter them from trying anything. They also hate ramming into things as their bodies aren't built for such sudden stops. Hiding around rocks or walls is a common and easy way of dealing with a charging ukralam. It has to slow down and move much more normally, which dramatically weakens its main strength. That said, ukralam are still giant carnivores, so its jaws are something to be wary of. Generally, the ukralam is kind of a poor hunt as well. Its meat is so-so, and while it provides a lot, its only a halfway decent choice. The skins, bones, leathers, and wind mana ingredients it offers are much more desirable. Accomplished warriors and wind mages among Immensio's indigenous peoples usually carry adornments of a ukralam. Tradition means usually gaining it themselves through a hunt, but some are family or tribal heirlooms.Basic Information
Anatomy
A bipedal giant monster, the ukralam has two powerful legs, with a four-toed foot capped in terribly strong claws. It does have two smaller, wing-like forearms that seem largely vestigial. They're capable enough to reach its mouth, and so are used to claw up meat and feed than anything else. Some are seen using them to groom their mates or children's feathers, and so serve a social function as well. Its body overall is much longer than it is taller, with the meat of it supported by its legs, and an incredibly long whip-tail behind it.
Their heads are rounded with a slight tapering toward triangular. The shape of it helps to break the wind as the ukralam runs into it. One could regard their whole physique as 'aerodynamic', including the arrangement of their feathers. They bear a lot of similarities to birds of prey more than they do other giant creatures. Larger 'slicing' fangs line their mouthes, their primary weapons toward dealing kills. Smaller razor teeth help with the actual feeding process.
Two large flaps start at their eyebrows and trail back down to their necks. These feather-lined, flexible organs flash open as a means of expression. Ukralam use them in almost every context, displaying a capable degree of communication for a largely solitary species. The flaps themselves are a kind of mana-sensing organ, so they do help to 'read the wind' and understand it.
Adorned in all kinds of feathers, the largest and most prominent ones run from the head and down the spine. They become smaller halfway down the torso, and then all the 'underside' ones are quite short and stout. This is a kind of visual camouflage, as when an ukralam is laying down, its top feathers blend in with Immensio's grasses. Their colorations are largely in the browns, yellows, and smatterings of greens, with the underside feathers being much lighter in color. Some regional variants feature reds and blues intermixed in.
Aside from their everything below their knee and the end of their tails, the ukralam could be called 'fluffy' after a fashion.
As a whole they're somewhat flexible, but face very real constraints in their sizes.
Biological Traits
Wind Aspected – Ukralam utilize wind-related principles, such as sensing air currents, possessing enhanced smell, and even using limited forms of wind magic themselves.
Capable Runners – They have not only the endurance, but ability to run throughout their whole lives. This is the main way younger ukralam survive to adulthood, as few things can keep pace or even trap them in the first place. Thanks to their windy natures, their adult forms are deceptively fast for their sizes as well.
Limited Tameability – Ukralam raised from birth can potentially be raised as mounts, but their wildness is unbroken throughout their lives. Only people truly powerful are able to keep them in line.
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