RABONA AKA 'HELL HOUNDS'. Description: The Rabona are solitary creatures, roaming the perimeter of the Deepwood for warmth, seldom travelling out into the plains to hunt for their favorite prey, the Lamarru. Due to their habitat, the Rabona have adapted to their environment over hundreds of thousands of years. The creatures rely off their sense of sound and smell to see, despite having tiny black eyes that no longer serve a purpose, such is evolution. The Rabona hone in on their sense of smell and touch when hunting, fully utilizing echolocation by emitting small clicks by mashing its teeth together rapidly. Hell Hounds mostly stick to the outskirts of the Deepwood, seldom traveling out into the plains unless desperate for a quick and easy meal. To catch Lamarru, the Hell Hound will usually wait for a herd to walk by the tree line before pouncing. It is far more effective to ambush passing prey than it is to run at high speeds half blind. The thick canopy of the Deepwood offers protection from falling snow. Their soft leathery skin is covered in tiny black thistles that can bury themselves under the skin of other creatures and humanoids, causing harsh irritations. They have a black and white striped tail to attract smaller prey and it's large mane is made up of longer and matted strips of thistles due to the countless liquids, wastes, matter and saps from the Deepwood, giving them the appearance that they are something straight out of the pits of hell, hence the term 'Hell Hounds'. The Rabona used to be exported from Zecyria to numerous prison outposts around the Fringe from to be used as 'guard dogs' against troublesome prisoners and criminals and to act as a deterrent to would be escapees. They have been a protected species under the Zecyrian Environmental Act since 3232. Behavior: Raising their pups until they are old enough to hunt for themselves usually at around two years of age, the Rabona tend to live the solitary life of a hunter, stalking its prey from the warm safety of the Deepwood before launching into action. Able to run at one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour, the Rabona relies on wearing its victim out of energy before going in for the kill, generally attempting to strike at main arteries first while keeping its distance from stronger prey. The reason the Rabona keep their distance from horned and other dangerous animals is because of their thin skin that can easily be punctured, causing them to flee. A solitary hunter cannot afford to be injured as their very survival depends on heir ability to hunt their next meal. Tamability: Although possible to tame from birth, the Rabona are incredibly unpredictable and have a wild nature. Ownership of these creatures within the Zecyrian Walls is illegal due to citizen safety. Where is it found?: Native to Zecyria. Found just inside the treeline of the Deepwood and sometimes in underground cavern systems where they will on some rare occasions, gather in packs. Rarity: Uncommon. Diet: Carnivorous. Primarily feeds on Lamarru. Products?: Black and white striped Leather. Teeth & claws are sought after on the black market. Reproduction: Sexual. Mating howls can be heard for up to 10 kms in good conditions. Size: Up to 3 meters tall and 6 meters long from head to tail. Weight: Up to 400 kilograms. Lifespan: 40 years. Abilities: Sense of sound is better than their smell or touch. Can run speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. Razor sharp teeth and claws. Its fur is made of thistles that cause severe itching. Flaws: Skin can be punctured very easily, causing it to flee. Must stick to the perimeter of the Deepwood for warmth. Can only travel onto the plains for short periods of time due to the cold. Bad weather dampens the senses and echolocation ability, causing the Rabona to trip on long sprints over unseen objects such as ice, rocks etc.
Hey there, @shhhhlp ! I'm here to grade your app today, which is currently getting a pending. I read from your app that Rabona "see" using echolocation, which is always a very interesting alternative to regular light-based vision in aliens, but there is a problem. Snow in every form is a very effective sound absorber, which means that echolocation wouldn't work very well in snowy, cold areas. This means that the Rabona would probably have a very difficult time surviving in Zecryia, and probably would never have evolved the trait in the first place. Of course, none of this applies if they're not native to Zecryia, evolved in a snowless part of the planet, or were genetically modified to express this trait. I'm not 100% sure what the weather of the Deepwood is like, but if it has no snow, then they should be fine evolving there. Keep in mind the sound absorbing properties of snow is present even when there isn't a snowstorm- any decent layer of it muffles sound, so it would trip on any snowy day- not just in really bad weather.
Absolutely correct me friend, which is why I have added this at the middle of the description to clarify; Hell Hounds mostly stick to the outskirts of the Deepwood, seldom traveling out into the plains unless desperate for a quick and easy meal. To catch Lamarru, the Hell Hound will usually wait for a herd to walk by the tree line before pouncing. It is far more effective to ambush passing prey than it is to run at high speeds half blind. The thick canopy of the Deepwood offers protection from falling snow.
