[Cosmosdex] The Universal Encyclopedia

[Cosmosdex]

Shrakka
     

Tunneller

Shrakka
“Step 1 to dealing with a shrakka infestation: move houses.” — Didni Wurl Guide to Dealing With Pests

Art by, Mel

  • Strength-5
  • Intelligence-1
  • Charisma-1
  • Endurance-7
  • Agility-10
  • Luck-0

Danger Level: High
Likes: Darkness
Dislikes: Heights, Bright lights, Its burrows being trodden on

Attack Method: Rushes its prey, slicing with its digging claws and chomping with its jaws. Sometimes it pulls prey underground to suffocate it.

Attributes
Environment: Underground, mostly beneath plains or cities.
Lifespan: 20 years
Size: 5 ft tall, 8 ft long
Diet: Anything edible

Bodytype: Taur
Type: Other
Rarity: Uncommon

Original Creator: Mel


Physical Description

The frighteningly sapient-seeming face of the shrakka grins from behind a bulbous black nose, in the midst of thin white stripes that course down its back to the tip of its long body. Six legs with the classic bulbous Didni Wurl feet support its length and enable it to skitter quickly along. Tunnelers earn their non-frescari name due to their spade-like foreclaws, which enable them to dig rapidly through the earth. They are tailless, and thus unsteady when they rise up on their hind legs to peer around on the odd occasion they surface.

Typically their teeth are bared in a grin, though they will scowl when aggravated.

Behavior

On their home planet tunnelers mainly fed on cave moss and insects, but once introduced to other planets they became invasive and very large pests. Many took up residence in sewers where their powerful digestive systems allowed them to eat almost anything that fell down, including most plastics and unfortunate maintenance workers. At night they surface to hunt and forage, which while mostly harmless to sapients on Didni Wurl became dangerous indeed in other planets' cities.

While naturally solitary, small packs of them band together to hunt off their homeworld. This only compounds the threat they pose to sapients. The behavior seems to be a result of habitat loss, as it has also been observed in expanding cities on Didni Wurl.

Tunnelers lay clutches of around three eggs and care fondly for their children until the babies mature. Parents will jealously guard their nests, as even packmates may eat the unborn eggs.

Subspecies

None / Unknown.

Special

Burrowing: Shrakka can burrow rapidly to escape from threats or undermine prey.

Trivia

• Attempts by the very rich to keep tunnellers as pets have been largely unsuccessful, as they tend to eat through any material or person that tries to contain them.

• Shrakka eggs are considered a delicacy on Didni Wurl. They taste very sweet.

• Many a traveler on Didni Wurl has lost their life due to falling through shrakka burrows dug too close to the surface.

Image Gallery

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