Errreembuhr
CEO of EODD
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To further flesh out the fauna of New Plympto and add creatures for others to interact with
- Image Credit: Jurassic Park
- Canon: N/A
- Links: New Plympto, Dryptodosaur, Cairsus Dragon, Hajial Chase
- Name: Spitrunner
- Designation: Non-Sentient
- Homeworld: New Plympto
- Language: N/A
- Average Lifespan: 20 Standard Years
- Estimated Population: Planetary
- Description: Spitrunners are small bipedal saurians, on average only half the height of a normal human, colored in cream, grey, and a variation of blue, green, yellow, or red. With a long tail acting as a balance they contain a typically slender frame, with a large frill that hangs down at the neck.
PHYSICAL INFORMATION
- Breathes: Type I
- Average height of adults: 1m
- Average length of adults: 3-3.5m
- Skin color: Blue-Grey, Green-Grey, Yellow-Grey, Red-Grey
- Hair color: N/A
- Distinctions: Similar in physical structure to a Dryptodosaur, but smaller, it contains several major distinctions, most notably from the neck up. Firstly it contains a large multi-colored frill which, when not in use, hangs down on its neck. It can be extended via small muscles which lift the narrow bones to hold it up, an act which makes the Spitrunner appear much larger than it truly is in an effort to scare away competition or larger predators. Males also possess two smaller multi-colored ridges along the nasal bone which extend several centimeters above the eyes. In addition both sexes contain a grey stripe above their underside, though males and females possess differing dorsal coloration: males are yellow or green, females are red or blue.
- Races: N/A
- Venomous Spit: Spitrunners take their name in part from their observed behavior of spitting a highly toxic venom at threats before fleeing. While not harmful to external skin, it contains a powerful neurotoxin that acts as a calcium channel blocker, inhibiting muscle control and breathing capacity, which if left untreated can lead to death within 5-6 hours in a typical human-sized creature. In order to have effect however the venom must be ingested or otherwise administered into the circulatory or digestive system, which is why the Spitrunner aims primarily for the mouths of their targets.
- Speed: The second part of the Spitrunner’s name comes from its high speed, clocking in at an average top speed of 80km/hr, allowing it to quickly escape larger predators which can’t be scared off by its frill.
- Powerful Smell and Hearing: Containing a powerful olfactory sense, the Spitrunner can smell a decaying carcass up to 1000m away, as well as living creatures at up to 300m, giving it ample warning
- Typical Weaponry: Standard blasters and slugthrowers are fully effective against the Spitrunner, capable of killing it in a single direct hit to the torso and causing severe damage on glancing shots.
- Size: Short and slender, the Spitrunner is a frail creature, and can be easily overpowered by larger predators if they aren’t harmed by its venom first.
- Feeding Focus: Despite its advanced sense of smell allowing it early warning of nearby creatures, once the Spitrunner begins feeding it tends to ignore this sense, making it easy for other predators to approach stealthily while the Spitrunner is distracted.
- Antivenom: Specifically regarding the neurotoxic venom the Spitrunner utilizes, most common market antivenoms are able to delay the effects if administered within 2-3 hours of ingestion, counteracting it just enough to provide several more hours of breathing capacity in the affected individual in order to get them proper medical attention. Most moderately well-equipped hospitals possess the capacity to provide life-saving treatment to an affected individual, making it easy to survive if quickly treated.
- Diet: Carnivore
- Communication: Rudimentary growls, shrieks
- Technology level: N/A
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A
Solitary creatures by nature, Spitrunners may possess several traits of predators, but they are highly documented scavengers, preferring to not risk tackling larger prey and instead living off the scraps of meat it can find or scare others off from. Their sharp claws and teeth, while used by predators to hunt and kill, are instead put to use tearing apart carcasses or cracking eggs to eat the contents. Its biology allows for several benefits to this sort of lifestyle, primarily its large multi-colored frill, which it uses to make itself appear larger in an effort to not only scare away other scavengers but to scare away other predators from their own kills in order to take what it can for itself. As a last defensive resort it also possesses venom glands that can be used to propel a glob of a powerful neurotoxin at its enemy before fleeing, typically aiming for the face in an effort to get the venom into the creature’s mouth or eyes where it can achieve maximum effectiveness. A side effect of this is that, once the creature eventually dies from the venom, the Spitrunner can return and feed on the carcass as its own circulatory system naturally resists the venom.
Spitrunners reproduce via ovuliparity, a method by which the female lays unfertilized eggs and a male later fertilizes them externally. Once fertilized the male will often remain in the area and watch over the eggs while the female leaves to seek new territory. It has been noted in several instances that a male and female Spitrunner will inadvertently ‘breed’ in this way multiple times without ever meeting. A single clutch of eggs can contain up to six eggs, though it is rare that more than two hatchlings will survive to adulthood, as they often are killed by larger predators early on due to their inability to defend themselves. Until they reach adulthood the young remain in the area with their father. A spitrunner reaches sexual maturity at approximately one year of age, at which point they will part ways with their siblings and parent, seeking out new territory for their own to claim.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
One of several species reintroduced to New Plympto after its restoration, the Spitrunner is a less-encountered creature, but still an important part of the ecosystem of its forests, including the Hajial Chase. Despite sharing predatory characteristics the Spitrunner is known to be a scavenger, stealing kills and eggs even from larger hunters. Known particularly to steal eggs from the nests of Dryptodosaurs and Cairsus Dragons, the Spitrunner’s name comes from its abilities not only to run at high speeds, but to spit a powerful venom at threats in the wild, using the distraction to flee if its large multi-colored frill doesn’t work to scare it away.
