Gray Render

forgotten war beasts from the Planar War.

Have you heard the phrase, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures?' Well that pretty much sums up why Gray Renders exist.

~ Fivin Aloro of House Aloro, Guild Historian of the Amoth Explorers Guild.

During the early years of The Sunder, desperate for a way to combat the Elemental forces ravaging the continent, a sect of mages from the city of Ahm began working on developing a creature they could unleash to try and stem the tide of the incursion. They needed something they could control, something that would be loyal to a fault and that above all, would kill elementals with single-minded ferocity.
What they got was the Gray Renders. Massive hulking beasts that they designed to bond completely to one single other intelligent creature with an unyielding drive to kill any and all elementals they come across.Unfortunately for Ahm, the Gray Renders came to late, as the city's destruction began a year after the first number of Gray Renders had grown to maturity.
The Gray Renders had their desired effect none the less, leading to the destruction of most of the smaller scouting and raiding troops the Archomentals sent out throughout what had started even then to be called The Blacklands. Many of the resistance groups during the Planar War discovered their use and collected those they found in the wild, raising and training the young early to fight within a military unit, while using the adults in smaller groups in guerrilla warfare raids. They were influential during the war, some even reportedly receiving military commendations. But with the wars end, their use all but vanished.
To chaotic in nature to be kept and trained as proper war mounts, to violent to be domesticated for use in agricultural or mercantile manners, the Gray Renders were instead abandoned to the Blacklands, a relic of the Planar War that most thought would die out due to the harshness of the environment. They did not however, and Gray Renders can still be found to this day, wandering the Blacklands, hunting down marauding Elementals, often bonded to a bandit leader, orc chieftain, goblin warlord, or any other intelligent creature it may find within its territory.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Hunched and vaguely humanoid, with large thick bones and tough hide to protect them. They possess fearsome claws at the end of their hands, a mouth full of large black teeth, and perhaps most interestingly, six yellow eyes.

Genetics and Reproduction

Gray Renders reproduce asexually. Large pustule like growths appear on the back of an adult Gray Render, which after 5 months will burst open, allowing small newborn Gray Renders (called Rendlings) to cascade down the back of the adult. One adult can typically produce ten Rendlings per spawning, which occurs once in its lifetime.

Growth Rate & Stages

Gray Render young, (Rendlings) start off small, roughly the size of a puppy for a large breed of dog, but will grow to adult size in around two years as long as they get enough food and survive long enough.

Ecology and Habitats

Due to their extremely hardy nature, Gray Renders are at home in nearly any environment, as long as it has breathable air and something to eat.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They will eat nearly anything they can get.

Biological Cycle

Gray Renders are unaffected by seasonal change.

Additional Information

Domestication

While not domesticated truly, Gray Renders have a strange habit of adopting sentient creatures of a different race, providing them with protection and following them for the remainder of their lives.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

A Gray Render bound to another creature becomes the worlds best, and at times worst, bodyguard. They are tough enough to take a beating from nearly anything they come across, dish out just as much as they take, and will protect their chosen bond creature to the death if the need be without hesitation.
However, the benefits of a Gray Render are complimented y their downside. They are fiercely jealous of their bonded mate, killing mounts they may try to use, destroy houses to try and get close to their chosen one, even going so far as to attack their companions.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Gray Renders are found predominantly in The Blacklands.

Average Intelligence

Animalistic.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Gray Renders are supremely strong, with physical strength that is equivalent to a creature much large that itself.

Scientific Name

Chaorudis Elementus

Lifespan

It is hard to determine the average lifespan, due to their violent and chaotic nature, leading to early deaths for most of their kind, Though most will live to be at least 30 years old.

Average Height

~10-12 ft.

Average Weight

~9000 lbs

Average Physique

Extremely bulky.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Gray Renders, as the name implies, are gray in coloring.