Critters
Unique Flora, Fauna, and Fuckwasthat’s from near our Settlement:
There are many wild animals native to the Lone Star that are a vicious and predatory kind of more ‘natural’ forms of evolution. The mutant Murder Goat Deer are on the top of the Bravo food chain and while sometimes docile (depending on the season), they are always a threat no matter how small. Only the bravest of hunter risks tracking a Murder Goat Deer pack, as the hunter often becomes the prey.
Murder Goat Deer are nocturnal scavengers primarily, but are truly omnivores. They can eat most plants and soft matter like a goat, but have evolved to even feed on dead flesh such as zombies. There is very little that they cannot eat, but they seem to prefer local fauna like Walker’s Manoic when it is in bloom. Murder Goat Deer mating season is in the spring, and they are often at their most dangerous during this time. MGD will prey on packs of shamblers and lesser undead threats, and often follow a horde into buildings and others scavenging for food. MGD will often ignore survivors unless attacked, as they prefer necrotic flesh to eat.
Murder Goat Deer range in size from small fawns up to the towering Slaughter Goat Deer. They appear much like a traditional deer, except for large fangs and powerfully muscled front hoofs. They exhibit much of the traditional markings of normal deer, but their horns are often covered in viscera and gore as they mature. The oldest of the deer often possess a magnificent set of antlers that extend their range. They often make a braying sound like a sheep or goat, and are fiercely territorial. Murder Goat Deer see well in the dark, and at night their eyes glow red in the darkness.
Heavily armored critters taller than a man, covered in overlapped plates of scale and bone, with sharpened claws for digging through dirt or enemies alike. Armordillos are scavengers and omnivores, but favor plants and shrubs. Their heavy plated shell often captures bits of grass and herb that can be plucked off by those bold enough to get close. The massive stomps of the armadillo can unbalance enemies, and their long limbs are capable of tearing through multiple enemies at once. Their shell is as hard as metal, and can be substituted for some crafting materials.
Armordillos are solitary creatures but dangerous to any that might get in their path. They have very poor vision and instead rely on a fantastic sense of smell and the ability to detect even the most subtle vibrations. Armordillos are a nuisance for the RRC, as their burrowing can destablize the foundations of buildings or tunnels. When one draws too near a settlement, talented hunters set out on a hunt to drive it away or take a new trophy if they can manage to take it down. Lascarians prize Armordillo claws for assistance in expanding their underground warrens, as they make excellent pickaxes and shovels.
Behemoth Polyps
Location: Bravado, Coastal Areas
Keywords: Critter, Aquatic
Mutations on a parasitic species known as the Leviathan Tongue Eaters, The Behemoth Polyps are for the first time able to branch out and infect any source of biomass, be it critter, strain, or raider. At first glance one might assume the parasites were mutated due to Waking Prime’s leaking radiation, but further examination revealed the influence of an otherworldly presence from Barogue.
These massive crustacean critters are known disease carriers and can strike down their prey with a massive strike of their crab-like claws. Their armored chitin offers significant protection against predators, and they are capable of skittering quickly towards a threat. Due to a powerful Hive Mind, these critters offer a unique threat against psions that try telepathic domination against the critter.
midnight jellyfish
Location: Bravado, Coastal or River Areas
Keywords: Critter, Aquatic
Understood by ecologists to be a local genus of the War Jelly species found in the Sequoia Wastes, these jellyfish-like apparitions are often encountered near the water, and float in and out of view like the creature of their namesake. They have long tendrils capable of stunning victims, and can emit a piercing cry that paralyzes anyone around them.
The Midnight Jellyfish is only partially aware of the world around it, and can be easily avoided if a survivor is particularly still. They react violently if attacked, and will slowly follow their prey as it flees, bobbing up and down as if propelled by some hidden wave.
Midnight Jellyfish are nocturnal, and are never encountered during the daytime. They are particularly transfixed by certain wavelengths of UV light and can be distracted from prey by careful use of the light.