Mawite Legend
Ts'Kiza, "Branchlurkers"
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To flesh out one of the "large predators" of Lao-mon and give the Brotherhood a war beast.
- Image Credit: Gwent "Frightener" concept art, by Marta Dettlaff (via Artstation)
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Lao-mon
- Name: Ts'Kiza
- Designation: Non-sentient
- Origins: Native to Lao-mon
- Average Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Estimated Population: Planetary
Description: A Ts'Kiza is a massive insectoid predator native to the jungles of Lao-mon. Its two forelimbs are covered in razor-sharp barbs to snag and shred flesh, which is then carried to its powerful, bone-crushing mouthparts. Its two-toed feet are excellent at digging into rock and tree trunks for climbing, and can propel it with terrifying speed. The two pairs of wings on its lower back are vestigial, and do not allow it to fly, but can boost its powerful legs in long-distance leaps to reach its prey. The creature's thick, chitinous exoskeleton is perfectly camouflaged for its jungle home, and it is capable of sitting motionless for entire days, awaiting victims.
- Breathes: Type I Atmosphere
- Average Height of Adults: 5 meters
- Average Length of Adults: 8 meters
- Skin color: Mottled green, tan, and brown camouflage
- Hair color: N/A
- Distinctions: Females are larger, with longer abdomens for egg-laying. Young specimens have bright colors that fade as they age.
- Races: N/A
- Force Sensitivity: Non-Sensitive
- Eating Machine: A Ts'Kiza is a deadly predator: relentless, fast, and strong, with forelimbs that can shred even heavily-armored infantry and droids. They can smell prey even inside light vehicles, and only reinforced armor plating will stop them.
- Sneaky and Durable: The thick, camouflaged carapace of a Ts'Kiza allows it to blend into the jungle, making it a perfect ambush predator. The carapace can resist small arms fire and even infantry-grade grenades; most melee weapons won't even scratch it.
- High Metabolism: A Ts'Kiza must constantly eat while active, or it will starve due to its body's demands. It spends most of its time hibernating. If its stomach becomes full (or it cannot catch its prey) it will immediately seek to hibernate again.
- Fire, Shock, and Sound: Sonic weapons and electric shocks can disorient and badly hurt a Ts'Kiza; these are the tools used to train them, and if employed by the enemy, they can be used to drive them off. A Ts'Kiza's carapace is also quite flammable.
- Diet: Carnivore. A Ts'Kiza eats near-constantly while awake, capable of consuming its full bodyweight in fresh meat in a day.
- Communication: Mouthpart clicks and trills, rustling of legs and wings.
- Technology level: N/A (Nonsentient)
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A (Nonsentient)
General behavior: Because of the tremendous amount of calories required to keep a Ts'Kiza's huge body functioning, the megapredators spend much of their time in a state of hibernation, slowing their metabolic rate to conserve energy. They lurk on the trunks of huge jungle trees or in leaf-covered trenches they dig, half-dreaming, until their keen senses detect a potential meal. They then explode into motion, ruthlessly ripping apart whatever prey has wandered nearby and gorging themselves on the warm, dripping meat. The only hope to escape them is to flee extremely quickly; although the Branchlurkers are fast, they are wary of expending too much energy, and won't chase their prey too far.
If they encounter a herd or crowd of prey animals, however, they will continue to attack and give chase as long as they can continuously eat to keep their energy up. This makes them terrifying warbeasts if 'domesticated'; capable of eating up to their own tremendous bodyweight in meat, they will continuously ravage a battlefield until killed or sated, ripping their way through infantry formations with horrific ease. Their primitive brains recognize no tribalism, however, and training cannot fix that; beast handlers must be careful to keep them pointed in the right direction, lest they get turned around and eat their way through the forces of those who unleashed them.
Ts'Kiza are generally solitary creatures, as a single one can claim hunting grounds consisting of a dozen square kilometers, keeping other animal populations in check. They do not attack each other, sensing some kind of bestial kinship, and territorial 'disputes' are resolved when one or both Branchlurkers move away to seek new prey. Once every five years, some biological imperative drives the creatures to emit pheromones that allow opposite-sex partners to seek each other. The elaborate mating dances that follow have been witnessed by few living beings, as the surrounding area is immediately ravaged by both predators to recoup the expended energy.
Only one to five eggs result from each pairing, usually tucked into caves or high among the branches of massive trees. Neither parent sticks around to watch the young hatch, which happens about a month later. Although the eggs are thick and tough, many are broken open by Lao-mon's other predators, and many young Branchlurkers are eaten by the same predators while still small. This keeps their numbers from growing out of control and unbalancing the ecosystem.. Raising a Ts'Kiza from an egg is no different from capturing an adult; they understand no loyalty, and can only be controlled through the judicious application of sonic stimulation and electro-prods.
The Ts'Kiza (Shi'idese for "Branchlurkers") have been native to Lao-mon for as long as the Shi'ido have written down their history. Exactly what the creatures evolved from and how long they have occupied their current evolutionary niche is of great interest to changeling scientists, and many theories have emerged over the years of study. Because of Lao-mon's position at the galaxy's edge and the general Shi'ido propensity for isolationism, very few of the beasts ever left their native world; it is rumored that a few ended up in Chiss or Croke zoos and laboratories, but they were never seen in the wider galaxy even thousands of years after the Shi'ido developed spaceflight.
All of this changed when the Brotherhood of the Maw conquered Lao-mon in 864 ABY. The Brotherhood looked at everything through the lens of how to exploit it to further their conquests, and the Branchlurkers were no exception. Hunting parties of marauders were sent into the jungles to capture the creatures, with each expedition resulting in massive casualties. These losses were considered more than acceptable, however, given the terrifying battlefield potential of the Ts'Kiza. The beasts - and eggs - that could be captured were brought back to Goshen War Camp, where they were brutally conditioned so that they could be pointed at the enemy and unleashed.
The Brotherhood managed to marshal the trained creatures aboard their starships, and exported these few to the front lines.
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