Golden Boulder

Golden boulders are a shining rock hiding amongst rubble. Around debris after every devastating event such as an earthquake, golden boulders lurk below the surface, waiting to snatch up prey. People reach in hoping to retrieve precious jewelry, only to be dragged into the gaping maw of these beasts.

They are native to Thisavaro, a realm inhabited by a number of dangerous, iridescent inanimals. When they detect a destructive event in other realms, they travel to it in order to feed on the hopeless and hopeful alike.

Anatomy

Eggy Placeholder by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

These inanimals are rather small, typically measuring no more than a foot in length. Some individuals have been recorded much larger, and the biggest specimen on record measured a whopping ten metres. Golden boulders have an anatomy similar to a salamander. They have dry, flaky skin, which burns up and can set alight when exposed to sunlight for too long.

Golden boulders five pairs of short legs, bent backwards to allow them to climb up walls and on ceilings more effectively. Hooked toe pads allows them to grip smooth surfaces, and their thin, stretchy skin helps these inanimals to slither through small gaps.

The tail's tip is equipped with a golden club. The club can morph itself, mimicking various treasured items. The most common item for a golden boulder to mimic is a pile of shimmering gold coins.

The jaws and mouth of a golden boulder can stretch up to twenty times as wide, allowing it to swallow supermassive prey. These inanimals are otherworldly heavy, the smallest of individuals weighing more than a hundred stone. And yet, they slip through rubble as if they are weightless.

Diet & Hunting

Hover over me!

Destruction of Sector Nine

Razhea Capita's Underworld

Sector Nine of Razhea Capita's Underworld was annihilated by carnivorous vines, leaving masses of rubble and thousands displaced. It attracted hundreds of golden boulders, and a reported nine hundred people were found missing after the destruction had occurred.

These inanimals are extra-dimensional creatures, emerging when they require feeding. Golden boulders feed on sophontic energy, one of the most powerful biotic energy sources available. Hordes of these creatures appear around destructive events, such as earthquakes, tornadoes - anywhere masses of rubble is produced.

The golden boulders emerge within the rubble, slip their tail club somewhere visible, preferably catching and reflecting sunlight to draw more attention. As people pass through the rubble, the shining tail club will catch someone's eye, and as they try to dig it up, the boulder's mouth will slowly close over and snap shut. Prey is absorbed into the body instantaneously, a painless death.

Scientific Name

Lamperocleftis catastrophii

Lifespan

100 years

Average Weight

150 st

Average Length

1 foot (average)